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Vance questions authority of US judges to challenge Trump; UAW contract negotiations at VW focus on higher wages, health care, retirement; Report highlights how Georgia can unlock rural infrastructure, broadband; Leftover fish parts could help keep industrial fishing waste low.

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The head of the new White House Faith Office draws scrutiny, Trump moves to fire the Federal Elections Commission chair, and a North Carolina judge won't toss tens of thousands of ballots in a state Supreme Court race.

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Medical debt, which tops $90 billion has an outsized impact on rural communities, a new photography book shares the story of 5,000 schools built for Black students between 1912 and 1937, and anti-hunger advocates champion SNAP.

For WI farmers, Farm Bill extension brings relief, uncertainty

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Friday, December 27, 2024   

Farmers in Wisconsin may be breathing a sigh of relief going into the new year with the farm bill extension but it may be temporary, as experts said there are issues with continuing the current legislation.

One of the biggest problems cited with the current Farm Bill is it was negotiated more than five years ago, so the crop reference prices are outdated.

Paul Mitchell, professor of agriculture and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explained the reference prices allow payments to farmers when a crop falls below a certain level.

"Prices have been declining on the corn and soybeans and the processes used to create this support in these times of thin, negative margins, they're out-of-date," Mitchell pointed out. "Those floors were set in 2018, and you know, we've gone through a lot of inflation and so, $1,000 isn't what it used to be."

Mitchell noted farm organizations have been asking Congress to increase crop reference prices and change the process to make it more relevant to current commodity markets. The Farm Bill was extended again for another year as part of a spending bill to avert a federal government shutdown.

Mitchell emphasized a lot of uncertainty looms with the incoming administration's goal to cut budget costs. There's also a new Secretary of Agriculture nominee, who would play a key role in renegotiating trade agreements which could involve imposing proposed tariffs.

"My real worry is that agriculture will be collateral damage for the new administration as they pursue other political priorities, where agriculture is not their number one priority," Mitchell stressed. "They will take the cost of agricultural 'hurt' to address these issues they want to address, what partly helped them get elected."

He cited other areas of concern in the Farm Bill as crop insurance, conservation programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is still offering benefits too low to help those who need them, according to an Urban Institute report.


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