The National Association of Farmer Elected Committees (NAFEC) represents locally elected committee members in every state and county in the nation. Since the 1930’s, the Farm Service Agency and its forerunners (AAA, ASC, ASCS,etc.) have worked tirelessly to deliver farm programs at the local level to support American farmers and ranchers. Beginning with Abraham Lincolns’ establishment of the USDA in the 1860’s, and continuing with FDR’s establishment of the Agriculture Adjustment Administration in the 1930’s, bipartisan farm policy supported by our Agriculture organizations and legislated by Congress, have made American Agriculture one of the greatest success stories in our country’s history.
NAFEC follows legislation that impacts the farmers and ranchers as well as the functions and responsibilities of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) Office staff and the Farmer Elected County Committees (COC’s) that are located in the county offices across the nation. Recently the House Agriculture Committee submitted draft legislation in H.R. 8467. NAFEC believes the majority of the new recommendations for the 2024 Farm Bill are in the best interest of those that NAFEC looks to support, however, there are concerns regarding Sections 12202 and 12204 of the House Draft Farm Bill which directs the legislation for Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The following items should be reviewed as they are not supported by NAFEC:
- Language in the submitted farm bill draft shows the removal of the prohibition of the Secretary from authorizing NRCS to implement the conservation reserve program (CRP).There has been a strike of current language in Section 226 (b) of 7 U.S.C. 6932 (b) 4 & 5 and (c) under Farm Service Agency and the revision is also located in the draft Sect Natural Resources Conservation Service amends to remove current law Section 228 7 U.S.C.6936 section B 2 & 5 by striking subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of such title (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq. NAFEC believes that FSA should remain as the administrating agency for the CRP program and NRCS continue to be the technical planning of practices when processing CRP applications and contracts.
- The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has proven itself to be highly skilled and efficient in the administration of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) since the program inception in 1985. FSA has maintained a good working relationship with the Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) when it comes to working together to get farmers and ranchers signed up for the program. NRCS should remain the agency that is responsible for the technical determinations as it is their strength and FSA should continue to work on the administration of the CRP program. NAFEC looks forward to working with your committee, USDA, and FSA as we move forward with the new farm bill.
