U.S. Senator Kay Hagan today announced that the 2013 Senate Farm Bill includes programs she requested for socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and North Carolina’s cotton and textile industries, as well as initiatives to make information about federal programs more accessible to farmers and livestock producers. Hagan wrote a letter to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and Ranking Member Thad Cochran to request that these programs be included in the 2013 Farm Bill.

“Agriculture is North Carolina’s biggest industry, and passing the Farm Bill is absolutely critical to ensuring our farmers have the certainty they need to operate their farms,” said Hagan. “I applaud Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Cochran for their commitment to advancing this bill that reduces the deficit by billions of dollars while improving the comprehensive safety net and other programs important to North Carolina’s farmers. When the bill moves to the Senate floor, I will continue to fight for polices that ensure our farmers can keep North Carolina’s agriculture economy growing.”

Hagan supported the 2012 Farm Bill that passed the Senate on a bipartisan basis, but fell victim to partisan gridlock in the House of Representatives.

“It is my hope that partisan politics will not continue to get in the way of good policies for our farmers,” added Hagan. “Agriculture is a $74 billion industry in our state, and we need a Farm Bill to make sure our North Carolina farmers can keep this economic engine humming.”

Hagan has long advocated for a comprehensive safety net that protects farmers against losses caused by events outside their control. At Hagan’s request, the following additional provisions were included in the bill to support North Carolina farmers:

· Additional funding for a key program that provides technical assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers in successfully acquiring, owning, operating and retaining farms. Hagan also requested that the program be expanded to include military veterans.

· Funding for the Economic Adjustment Assistance Program (EAAP), which is vital to North Carolina’s textile and cotton producing sectors. EAAP has stimulated new investment in textile plants and manufacturing equipment, which has resulted in increased domestic cotton consumption and jobs. Hagan will continue pushing for another program important to the state’s textile manufacturers.

· A plain language amendment that would make information about federal crop insurance policies more readable and accessible to farmers. Hagan successfully included the same amendment in the 2012 Farm Bill to ensure farmers have the information needed to make informed decisions about new and existing crop insurance products.

· Language to ensure farmers can access information about a USDA conservation incentive program that promotes agriculture production and environmental quality. The voluntary Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQUIP) offers technical assistance to install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agriculture land.

Senator Hagan is committed to ensuring federal policies work for North Carolina farmers. Last month, she introduced a bill to remove a redundant Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation on pesticides that places an unnecessary burden on farmers. Hagan will continue working to support farmers and eliminate redundant regulations that add unnecessary costs during these difficult economic times.