Seed Trade Group Announces Farm Bill Priorities
Published: Friday, March 17, 2023
The American Seed Trade Assn. on Monday released its policy recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill. The recommendations fall under the following priority areas: conservation; agriculture research; trade; innovation; and risk management.
"Farm bill programs play a pivotal role in ensuring certainty for producers across all regions and sectors of U.S. agriculture, and provide for a more nutritious and food-secure future both at home and abroad," said ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne. "Resiliency and prosperity in agriculture starts with seed. Better seed produces better crops for a better quality of life."
Conservation
The seed industry plays a unique and critical role in supporting conservation programs by developing and providing diverse, locally and broadly adapted, high-quality seed, enabling farmers to both increase agricultural productivity and conserve natural resources. ASTA's farm bill priorities for conservation include: Providing new approaches to expand cover crop adoption; ensuring access to the highest quality, professionally produced cover crop seed; offering flexibility in conservation program delivery; and enhance carbon sequestration and land resilience by harnessing plant diversity .
Agriculture Research
Efficient and productive agriculture systems start with seed. The U.S. seed industry relies on the support of Farm Bill funding and programs to ensure continued leadership as the provider of the best seed to the world. Strong investments in research from discovery through development lead to better seed, which means better outcomes for farmers, consumers, the environment, in the short and long-term. ASTA farm bill priorities for research include:
• Ensure robust funding for primary USDA research ;
• Strengthen support for the National Plant Germplasm System;
• Reauthorize the Agriculture Genome to Phenome Initiative;
• Continue support for university research;
• Gather and provide access to needed cover crop data; and
• Reauthorize and fully fund the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority.
Trade
Exports are a vital part of the U.S. economic engine, and agricultural exports continue to be among its strongest components. To continue to expand U.S. agricultural exports, protect and create American jobs, strengthen farm income, and help offset the government-supported advantages afforded to international competitors, the farm bill must include investment toward public/private partnerships designed to support these efforts. When it comes to trade, ASTA's top farm bill priority is: increase funding for agricultural trade promotion and facilitation, including MAP and FMD.
Innovation
Continued innovation in plant breeding and seed-variety development are crucial to ensuring long-term economic, social and environmental sustainability. The seed industry is founded on innovation, and innovation is a part of everything we do—from plant breeding and seed treatments, to soil health and habitat restoration. To support these efforts, ASTA recommends the following: create systems that foster innovation in plant breeding, and provide clarity around biostimulants.
Risk Management
To ensure economically sustainable domestic agriculture production, ASTA supports maintaining and strengthening farm bill commodity programs. We look to our grower partners in the commodity organizations and general farm organizations as they identify specific recommendations on policy to protect, preserve, and strengthen farmer safety nets.
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