WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use its Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) authority to support American farmers through investments in trade promotion and in-kind international food aid.
“As Congress works toward reauthorizing critical programs in the Farm Bill, we continue to hear from organizations representing the vast majority of U.S. agriculture about the need to strengthen trade opportunities, increase revenue streams, and help producers grow and thrive in a global economy,” the Senators wrote. “We believe that resources available under the CCC can support similar efforts to open access to markets and promote American-grown products abroad.”
“There is also bipartisan support for critical U.S. Department of Agriculture international food assistance programs,” the letter continued. “We urge you to explore using CCC resources to advance food assistance initiatives, which will both address humanitarian needs abroad and support American farmers.”
The request comes as Congress is working to draft the next Farm Bill, which includes programs that are critical to the U.S. rice industry such as the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program, and the Food for Peace, Food for Progress, and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education programs.
“USA Rice applauds the effort to increase funding for promotion and food aid that would benefit U.S. rice farmers, our industry, and many people abroad,” said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward. “While USA Rice supports approach, it is temporary and should not replace program changes that are needed for longer-term certainty in the Farm Bill.”
Ward continued: “Congress must find solutions to increase funding for MAP and FMD and keep the commodity-based food in the international food aid programs as the next Farm Bill is negotiated. Even more important is that Congress ensures the rice farmer’s safety net – the Price Loss Coverage program – is meaningfully reformed through an increased rice reference price to ensure that rice farmers are able to stay in business so there is a product to promote and food to feed the hungry.”
In July, the government of India banned exports of some types of rice which directly impacted millions throughout Africa and Asia, raising global prices and exacerbating the global food shortage.
Ward concluded: “The U.S. is now harvesting the 2023 rice crop, creating a situation where our supply can really help alleviate some of the global hunger crisis.”
Read the full letter
here.