Concerns of Local Ag Producers

Local farmers discussed the 2024 Farm Bill and their concerns about the future of the agriculture industry with Congressman Gus Bilirakis at the Stable Faith Cowboy Church in Brooksville on Monday.
Bilirakis is working to reauthorize the federal farm bill, also known as the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which President Trump signed into law in 2018. The law originally expired on September 30, 2023, but was extended by the Biden administration until September 30, 2024.

The Farm Bill is a five-year bill that will provide aid to farmers in times of unpredictability, increase funding for agricultural research and export programs, implement important improvements to ensure a robust rural economy, support access to families formerly disallowed to receive benefits, and keep American agriculture at the forefront of innovation and productivity through cutting-edge research.

“The Farm Bill currently being considered is expected to have a hefty price tag of over $1.4 trillion to support a variety of agriculture and nutrition initiatives, including critical research, conservation, innovation, infrastructure, health and nutrition, and supply chain security,” said Bilirakis.

The Farm Bill was passed by the House committee but has not yet been passed by the House of Representatives. The bill has been given an extension through Sept. 30.

“Agriculture is a vital part of our nation, state, and regional economies,” said Bilirakis. “Throughout the country, 46 million jobs are supported by the industry that yields $8.6 trillion in economic output. Agriculture is responsible, for over $200 billion in exports and almost $950 billion in tax revenue. Even more importantly, than its vast economic impact, the security of our domestic food, supply is a critical National Security issue. ”

Last year, the farmers presented several concerns to Congressman Bilirakis, who informed this year’s forum participants that he had shared these issues with other members of Congress. The issues included more geographic neutrality for all USDA programs, USDA programs needing to be streamlined and simplified, estate staff preventing farms from being passed down from one generation to the next, entry barriers to agriculture being too high, and fourth-generation farmers selling to real estate investors. Also, disaster relief programs need to be streamlined to enable funds to be distributed in a more timely manner without having to wait on Congressional approval for each disaster.

At this year’s farmer forum, Larry Rooks, owner of Diamond Horseshoe Beef, brought up supply chain issues, including postal delays and the need for incentives to keep people in the farming and ranching industries. “If we’re going to save the family farm or agriculture as it is, we’ve got to have some more incentives to stay on the land,” said Rooks.

Martha Moen raised the issue of limited access to tractor parts since much of the equipment is imported from other countries.

She said it can take up to two weeks to get the parts they need to repair the equipment, which affects their ability to harvest or plant crops.

Moen also mentioned the lack of large animal veterinarians in the area. One reason she mentioned is that large animal veterinarians don’t make as much money or have as many resources as they would at a small animal clinic.

A solution that was suggested was to create a non traditional pathway for people who grew up in farming to be accepted into veterinary school. Rooks said these kids may not have the highest GPA, but they have a strong work ethic.

Leon McClellan, manager of M&B Dairy, brought up the problem of inflation and regulation. Last year, it cost about $8 per day to feed each cow, but this year, the cost has risen to about $13 per cow, he said. “We have to be able to grow our own crops to where we can feed our cows and keep our costs down,” said McClellan.