Crapo Targets Trade, Local Decisions in Farm Bill

Washington, D.C. – Passage of the 2018 Farm Bill in the Senate will include significant improvements for on-the-ground collaborative projects and a boost in trade protection for Idaho and U.S. agricultural producers, said Idaho Senator Mike Crapo.  Crapo helped advance some of the proposals in the Farm Bill, such as the expansion of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP), which has spawned a number of active collaborative land-use groups in Idaho.  He also supports increases in federal programs designed to boost the sales U.S. farm goods.  Major Idaho commodity organizations support the increases for the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development Program (FMDP). 

“This year’s Farm Bill not only maintains a fair floor of support for producers, but also increases the resources for selling our farm products overseas,” Crapo said.  “We also move more of the decision-making on the use of our public lands back to states and local collaborative groups, where our neighbors can lead the planning process.” 

Crapo is again supporting dairy, grains and sugar programs in the bill, in support of Idaho farmers and consumers.  He supports local decision-making regarding national monument creation and cutting duplicative regulations on the use of certain pesticides. 

“Idaho ag producers stepped up during the last Farm Bill and did their part to reduce our national debt and we have not forgotten that,” Crapo said.  “There will be debate over reforms to keep our nutrition programs solvent, but I expect we will have a strong, bipartisan show of support for our farmers in the final vote.”

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