House Ag Committee Seeks to Protect Crop Protection Industry in Latest Farm Bill Legislation

Posted by |17 July 2012

Lawmakers on the US House Ag Committee recently passed a version of the 2012 Farm Bill that specifically addresses duplicate pesticide permits.

The House recently included base text in the Farm Bill taken directly from House Bill 872, also known as the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act, which was introduced to exempt US farmers and retailers from submitting National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits if the pesticide was already registered.

Crop protection advocacy groups are rallying behind the legislative addition. However, Congress is going into recess in August, which leaves limited room for floor debate on issues such as budget cuts.

The House’s version of the Farm Bill has a recommended $35 billion in cuts but does not eliminate direct payments. Senate’s approved version of the bill contains a proposed $23 billion in cuts over the next 10 years which includes the phase out of direct payments, a program that alone costs $5 billion per year.

“The most crucial thing Congress must do in levying cuts to various programs is to make sure that the approach is balanced and the funding levels are equitable,” says Jeff Sands, Director of Public Policy, Agricultural Retailers Association.