Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 9/24/18

Congress has less than a week to pass a new farm bill, H.R. 2 (115), before the current law expires on Sept. 30, and negotiators remain far apart on major issues.

Yet an extension of current law isn't being considered yet, sources familiar with the talks tell Pro Ag's Catherine Boudreau and Helena Bottemiller Evich. Such a move would be politically risky for farm-state politicians facing reelection, but there are other consequences, too.

A world with no farm bill extension: Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts and ranking member Debbie Stabenow have suggested that an extension may not be necessary until December, presumably because commodity policy wouldn't revert to decades-old law until January. But if a deal isn't reached before the new Congress meets on Jan. 3, both the House and Senate would need to reintroduce the legislation and take another vote.

Programs in limbo: Major conservation initiatives, for instance, would be in a tough spot. There would be mandatory funding available, but USDA's authority to operate the programs expires at the end of the fiscal year.

Meanwhile, dozens of lower-profile programs — like those promoting international trade, local and regional food systems and bioenergy development — would be left in the lurch.

The $34.5 million Foreign Market Development program is among them. Farm groups that utilize the funding to staff offices overseas told POLITICO they may have to start shutting down programming the longer Congress goes without passing a new farm bill.