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Hagan helps pass bipartisan 2013 Farm Bill with major victories for NC farmers
Story Date: 6/11/2013
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Source: PRESS RELEASE, 6/10/13
U.S. Senator Kay Hagan secured major victories for North Carolina farmers in the 2013 Farm Bill, which passed the Senate today with a strong bipartisan vote of 66 to 27. During the floor debate, Hagan led a bipartisan coalition to defeat an amendment that would have significantly harmed roughly 2,000 tobacco farmers in North Carolina. The Senate also unanimously approved Hagan’s amendment to strengthen crop insurance fraud prevention and preserve the federal program for honest hardworking farmers. The 2013 Farm Bill sets agriculture policy for the next five years while reducing the deficit by $24 billion.
“Today the Senate came together – Democrats and Republicans – to give farmers in North Carolina and across the country the certainty they need to keep our agriculture economy growing,” said Hagan. “Agriculture is a bedrock industry in our state, employing hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians, and my first priority has been ensuring this bill works for our farmers so they can plan for the future and continue to create jobs. I am proud to have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to provide farmers with a long-term roadmap and strengthen the programs they depend on most, all while reducing the deficit by billions of dollars. This bill is a true win for North Carolina’s farmers and our economy, and I urge the House to take action right away.”
Victories Hagan secured during floor debate of the 2013 Senate Farm Bill:
· Hagan amendment to strengthen crop insurance fraud prevention. After the largest-ever crop insurance fraud ring was uncovered in North Carolina earlier this year, Hagan heard from farmers across the state about their concerns that in these difficult budget times, the actions of a few bad actors could jeopardize federal crop insurance programs. Hagan’s amendment provides the Risk Management Agency with the necessary resources to combat fraud and preserve safety-net programs for honest hardworking farmers.
· Hagan led the effort to defeat an amendment that would have prevented North Carolina’s 2,000 tobacco growers from being eligible for federal assistance for buying private crop insurance. The amendment would have done nothing to lower smoking rates or address public health issues, but would have resulted in the increased importation of tobacco and threatened North Carolina farmers’ livelihoods and families.
“I am proud to have worked to defeat this measure, which would have unfairly targeted small tobacco farmers in North Carolina and made it next to impossible for them to obtain financing for their farms,” added Hagan. “I am also proud the Senate unanimously approved my amendment to support crop insurance fraud prevention and ensure that honest farmers do not pay the price for the actions of just a few.”
Despite not being a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Hagan was able to secure numerous provisions important to North Carolina in the bill. These victories include:
· Additional funding for a program that provides technical assistance to historically underserved farmers and farmers returning from service in the U.S. military.
· Reinstating the Economic Adjustment Assistance Program (EAAP) that spurs growth and jobs in North Carolina’s cotton textile sector.
· Requiring USDA to make information about federal crop insurance policies and a program important to North Carolina livestock producers more readable and accessible.
For more information about these programs, please click here.
“We commend Senator Hagan for her leadership and hard work to ensure that priorities of significant interest to many North Carolina farmers are reflected in the 2013 Farm Bill,” said Erica Peterson, Executive Vice President of the North Carolina Agribusiness Council. “By protecting federal crop insurance and improving the safety net, the 2013 Farm Bill helps provide farmers with the resources they need to do business. Farmers are key to continuing to grow NC's Agribusiness industry, which contributes over $77 billion to the state's economy. ”
“The N.C. Soybean Producers Association thanks Senator Hagan for her support of the Farm Bill including the programs that protect against risks or provide incentives for conservation practices, all providing for the continuity of North Carolina’s farm families,” said Charles Hall, CEO of the N.C. Soybean Producers Association.
Agriculture is North Carolina’s largest industry, generating $77 billion in economic activity and employing nearly one-fifth of the state’s workforce.
The 2013 Farm Bill represents the most significant reform of American agriculture policy in decades. The bill strengthens the safety net for farmers by reforming the direct payment system. Instead of subsidies that pay out every year even in good times, the bill creates risk management tools that help farmers when they are hurt by events outside their control, including flooding and drought.
By reforming the direct payment system, streamlining programs and cracking down on abuse, the 2013 Farm Bill slashes the deficit by $24 billion.
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