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FARGO – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) hosted a roundtable discussion with U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, to gather stakeholder input for the 2023 Farm Bill. U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, and North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, also participated.  

With the authorization of the Farm Bill set to expire in eight weeks, the roundtable gave attendees the opportunity to directly provide their input on North Dakota's agricultural priorities.

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“North Dakotans know there are a lot more people who eat food than grow it. As a net exporter, not only do we grow the durum used for pasta in Manhattan, but crops grown in our backyard feed and fuel the globe. The Farm Bill is critical to supporting our producers, and its reauthorization should be focused on bolstering the work they do,” said Senator Cramer. “The world has changed since our last Farm Bill five years ago, and this year’s bill should reflect things like supply chain issues, inflation, keeping land in productive use, and using agriculture as a geopolitical soft power tool. This bill is a critical safety net for farmers and ranchers and the consumers who rely on them. Thank you to Senator Boozman for coming to North Dakota. Your friendship, input, personal guidance, and calming influence is invaluable.”

Background

The Congressional Budget Office released a budget analysis on the Farm Bill in February, showing total outlays across the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and mandatory farm programs are projected at $1.5 trillion, over a $31.5 billion increase from February projections. Compared to the $867 billion cost of the 2018 Farm Bill at enactment, the 2023 Farm Bill will represent a $640 billion or 74% increase in spending – primarily driven by increases in SNAP outlays. 10-year SNAP outlays are projected at $1.2 trillion.

Some of Senator Cramer’s top priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill include reforming the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to allow for the haying of CRP land during the primary nesting season of native birds in the case of extreme and exceptional drought, increasing statutory reference prices so Price Loss Coverage is a more competitive product for covered commodities, maintaining the U.S. Sugar Program, and strengthening Federal Crop Insurance.