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Click to read[/caption] Category: Legislative Updates
Late last year LICA reached out to give its members a chance to briefly share their thoughts on the economy and some general policy issues. It was a small sample survey but shows that nearly 75% of the respondents had a good business year and have a positive market outlook for 2021. A majority are looking for increased investment in infrastructure and more state/local technical assistance from USDA while raising significant concerns that farmers are experiencing delays in getting assistance for conservation programs. Increased regulations – specifically around climate change policies – is overwhelmingly viewed as a threat to business. Overall, a positive outlook despite the hangover from many of the challenges industry faced in 2020.
The U.S. transportation construction market is expected to shrink 5.5 percent next year, driven primarily by the severe economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the annual forecast released by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). Overall, the value of work is expected to drop from $294.2 billion in 2020 to $278.1 billion in 2021. The expected market contraction follows a record year for most transportation sectors in 2020. While Pennsylvania and Washington state temporarily shut down projects in the spring, the rest of the country classified transportation construction as an essential industry.
The farm economy outlook is improving thanks to trade, COVID-19 relief, and a market rally. Michael Clements, economist with the American Farm Bureau, states the new year is bringing some optimism for the farm economy due to multiple factors: recently released data form the U.S. Census Bureau show that preliminary exports to China during November are nearly $5 billion, putting the total exports to a historic record.
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Farmer and rancher delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 102nd Annual Convention adopted policies to guide the organization’s work in 2021. Key topics ranged from farm diversity to farm labor and dairy policy to livestock marketing. For the first time in AFBF history, delegates met and voted virtually due to COVID-19. “Our Farm Bureau delegates showed that no challenge, not even a pandemic, will keep them from working to improve the lives of America’s farmers and ranchers,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Their work not only sets policy for 2021, it will also serve as a guide for AFBF as we prepare to work with a new president and a new Congress to ensure we continue to lead the world in producing healthy and safe food, fiber and fuel.”
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Pete Buttigieg – former 2020 Democratic candidate for president and mayor of South Bend, Indiana – touted safety and infrastructure investment as his key priorities during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on January 21 to be the 19th U.S. Secretary of Transportation. “Safety is the foundation of the department [of transportation’s] mission, and it takes on new meaning amid this [COVID-19] pandemic,” Buttigieg said. “We must ensure all of our transportation systems – from aviation to public transit, to our railways, roads, ports, waterways, and pipelines – are managed safely during this critical period, as we work to defeat the virus.”
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State departments of transportation are getting $10 billion in long-awaited emergency aid from a $900 billion COVID – 19 Relief Bill passed by Congress late on December 21 as part of a final year-end legislative package.
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Devin Lammers, President of Crop Marketing and Financial Services for Farmer’s Business Network, Inc. and Chief Executive Officer of Gradable, shared his thoughts on the upcoming challenges faced by agriculture the next four years. He hails from South Dakota where his family has farmed and ranched for four generations.
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USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey told AgriPulse the majority of work on implementing the 2018 farm bill is done as well the heavy lifting for the first two rounds of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program funding for a diverse group of farmers and ranchers across the nation. Ahead, Northey believes Congress should consider some mechanism for ad hoc assistance to be administered through USDA's Commodity Credit Corps. without additional legislative action. Northey believes CCC limits should be addressed in a new farm bill and believes a shift to climate-smart farm programs will include a number of conservation practices farmers are already implementing voluntarily. He says adequate broadband service is still an issue the Biden administration will need to address.
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House and Senate leadership continue to discuss government funding and coronavirus relief. Leadership indicated that Congress would not leave for the holidays until a relief bill is passed.
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