Yesterday, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) concluded their days-long annual convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The annual meeting brought nearly 5,000 attendees from all around the country for several days of meetings, delegative policy voting, farm tours, Young Farmers & Ranchers events, and many other activities. Scores of sponsors also hosted booths on the large trade show floor at the primary convention center.

While the location offered a warmer and more “beachy” vibe than is typical for the annual convention, the policy and resolution process remained as productive as ever, with several hundred resolutions passed that made changes to official AFBF policy. Included in those were changes submitted by California Farm Bureau relating to polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The changes will help give AFBF staff the ability to promote programs and research aimed at supporting farmers that encounter these so-called “forever chemicals” on their farms and ranches.

In addition to these, the newly added policies range from tweaks to existing dairy policies (such as FMMO pricing), to risk management programs and upcoming Farm Bill policy. We will be sure to provide an updated version of the AFBF Policy Book when those changes are incorporated and publicly shared. In the meantime, those that missed out on the annual session can still visit the convention portal for video replays on several of the recorded sessions. Those wishing to join next year will find themselves in a slightly colder environment as the convention will head to Salt Lake City, UT from January 19-24, 2024.

During AFBF’s convention, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the agency had a formal date for producers start applying for ERP Phase Two disaster relief payments. Applications will open January 23 and run through June 2^nd, intended to cover disasters experienced in calendar years 2020 and 2021.

We highly encourage previously impacted members to take a close look at the fact sheet below if you believe you might qualify for relief. The USDA has listed several documents and other data that will be useful to prepare beforehand in order to help speed along the application process. For more information or any questions on this, please do not hesitate to reach out to Matthew Viohl (mviohl@cfbf.com).

California Representative Kevin McCarthy was finally elected Speaker of the House after the 15^th round of voting last week. The lower chamber was unable to move forward with any other legislative work—including committee assignments—until finally getting enough votes for McCarthy in the early hours of Saturday morning. The previous round of voting ended in some contentious arguments when Rep-elect Matt Gaetz (FL) cast a last-second “present” ballot that technically left McCarthy a half-vote short of a majority, requiring a 15^th and final vote.

It marked the longest election for Speaker since it took 44 votes in 1859, just prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Speaker McCarthy was able to shore up support after brokering a deal with several of his more conservative detractors. One of those steps was implemented already with the approval of a select committee on the alleged politicization of the FBI’s inner ranks.

Despite his win, many pundits have pointed to this protracted as being a sign of things to come for the House Republicans in the 118^th Congress. With such a slim majority and intraparty fighting on public display, it could make things particularly challenging for the newly minted Speaker. With a Democratic-held Senate though, both chambers are expected to focus plenty of time on messaging bills leading up unto the 2024 general election.

During an address at AFBF’s Annual Convention, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack also announced several other recent and upcoming initiatives aimed at improving economic conditions for the agricultural industry here in the US. This included new funding for expanded meat processing capacity, improving risk protection for historically underserved producers, expanded funding and other drivers intended to lower input costs here in the US, and the ERP Phase Two payments noted earlier.

Rising input costs have been a significant issue for the agricultural industry in recent years, pushing many farmers and ranchers to the brink despite higher commodity prices for several industries. The new initiative will provide up to $88 million for the development of expanded fertilizer production. The USDA will also be looking for additional feedback on other ways to improve conditions in these areas, meaning they plan to continue developing their strategies as is necessary. For more information, click the announcement below.