Led by Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pennsylvania), the House Committee on Agriculture approved its version of the 2024 Farm Bill (The Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2024) with a 33-21 vote during the scheduled markup on May 23. Next, the bill will advance out of committee to the U.S. House of Representatives before the August recess.
“I firmly believe the legislation before us today restores a robust rural economy, invests in America’s farmers, ranchers and foresters, and bolsters every facet of American agriculture. And having seen the widespread support from stakeholders across this country, I believe we have achieved that goal,” Thompson said in his open remarks during the markup.
Also before the August recess, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry expects to release and mark up the draft of The Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act of 2024. A summary of the Senate committee's plans was released by Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) on May 1. Then, both chambers must pass their versions of the farm bill before convening a conference committee to reconcile both bills into one final bill.
Below is a list of dairy-related programs included in the bill.
- Extend the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program through 2029; update production history for participating dairies to be based on the highest production year of 2021, 2022 or 2023; and extend the ability for producers to receive a 25% premium discount for locking five years of coverage
- Increase the DMC Program Tier 1 volume threshold from 5 million pounds to 6 million pounds
- Extend the Dairy Forward Pricing Program, the Dairy Indemnity Program and the Dairy Promotion and Research Program
- Restore the “higher-of” Class I mover
- Support the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act
- Boost funding for dairy trade promotion programs and protect the use of common food names worldwide
- Support voluntary, producer-led conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, with dedicated funds for livestock operations and language encouraging states to prioritize methane-reducing practices
- Require the USDA to report to Congress on the department’s preparedness to support livestock and poultry growers facing economic losses in the event of an outbreak of a foreign animal disease
- Continue the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network
Several dairy industry groups released statements about the outcome of the markup.
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall:
“The farm bill affects all of America’s families, and we’re encouraged to see the legislation progress in the House. We applaud the bipartisan vote after 13 hours of rigorous debate but know that tight margins in both chambers and a crowded congressional calendar will present challenges in the next legislative steps. We urge House leaders to continue the momentum and bring this important legislation to a vote on the floor. We also urge the Senate agriculture committee to follow the lead of the House by scheduling a farm bill markup. A pandemic, high inflation, supply chain issues and global unrest all present challenges that can only be addressed by a new, modernized farm bill. This is an opportunity for both chambers to work to advance a piece of legislation that will pay off at every dinner table in America.”
International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA):
“IDFA was pleased to see the House Agriculture Committee’s 2024 Farm Bill expand the SNAP Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive (HFMI) to include the full suite of nutritious milk options … The House Agriculture Committee’s 2024 Farm Bill recognizes this success by expanding the program to incentivize nutritious milk options like 2 percent and whole milk, and by providing more certain funding to ensure increased access and continued success of the program. IDFA will continue to work with the committee and industry champions to expand the program to incentivize other nutritious dairy products like cheese and yogurt as provided in the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2023 … The House Agriculture Committee 2024 Farm Bill makes the Dairy Forward Pricing Program permanent, which would eliminate the gap in forward pricing programs for proprietary plants and their producers that occurs if farm bills are delayed. The bill also allows schools to serve whole milk and reduced-fat [2%] milk to students, pursuant to the chairman’s Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which IDFA has supported. It also mandates biennial cost surveys to ensure make allowances accurately reflect the cost of manufacturing dairy products – a consensus priority across the U.S. dairy industry. Unfortunately, the bill also includes a provision that circumvents USDA’s mandate to complete the ongoing Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) hearing process, by restoring the ‘higher-of’ formula for the calculation of the price of Class I [fluid] milk – a policy delegated to the USDA via the law. The USDA process to make changes to the FMMO system through a federal order hearing has been underway for well over one year, and the USDA will soon announce its proposal for the updated FMMO. IDFA believes Congress should not intervene on one select issue, especially one that is included in the current USDA FMMO hearing process and one that has significant impacts across all policies in the FMMO and like many of the hearing proposals, affects many parts of the dairy supply chain.”
National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) President and CEO Gregg Doud:
“We commend Chairman Thompson and committee members from both parties for approving a 2024 House Farm Bill that includes critical dairy priorities that will help support and grow this industry. We will do whatever we can to work with lawmakers in both chambers on a bipartisan basis to pass a new law as soon as possible, knowing that dairy is well served by what the House Agriculture Committee approved today.”
Leadership from the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry also released statements following the markup of the House bill.
Chairwoman Stabenow said she is “glad that Chairman Thompson is working to move the process forward so that [they] can complete [their] work on the 2024 Farm Bill this year.”
“Despite areas of common ground, it is now clear that key parts of the House bill split the farm bill coalition in a way that makes it impossible to achieve the votes to become law,” she said. “And it is also clear that we do not have time to waste on proposals that cannot meet that goal. I have always believed there is a bipartisan path forward if we maintain the long tradition of respecting the needs and interests of the broad farm and food coalition. This has always been the foundation of a successful farm bill. My door remains open, and I am ready to find a successful way forward. Working together, I know we can pass a strong, bipartisan bill that keeps farmers farming, families fed and rural communities strong.”
Sen. John Boozman (R-Arkansas), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, also released a statement following the markup commending members of the House Committee on Agriculture who voted in support of this legislation, noting that this is the “first real progress toward a new farm bill becoming law” and he and his colleagues on the Republican side of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry are “committed” to moving the process forward.
“Chairman Thompson’s bill incorporates stakeholder input in a manner that mirrors much of what Senate Republicans are seeking to accomplish with our framework,” Boozman said in a statement. “The House bill modernizes the farm safety net, expands market access, maintains a focus on locally led conservation programs, ensures Americans in need will continue to receive nutrition benefits, and it invests in the rural communities our farmers, ranchers and foresters call home – all while finding solutions for funding these and a host of other widely supported priorities.”
He added that the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry intends to release their farm bill framework that reflects the Senate’s shared commitments across all 12 titles in the coming weeks.
