Peace Garden News

At a recent Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, Senator John Hoeven emphasized the necessity of maintaining flexibility at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address urgent needs in farm regions, such as avian flu outbreaks. Hoeven highlighted the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) as a key component for the upcoming farm bill, describing it as a flexible source of emergency funding to assist farmers and ranchers facing various challenges.

Hoeven pointed out that $33.5 billion in disaster assistance had been secured for producers through year-end funding legislation. He has been collaborating with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to ensure that USDA implements and delivers this assistance efficiently. During discussions with hearing witnesses, Hoeven explained how this disaster aid acts as a bridge for recovery while efforts continue to secure essential priorities in the new farm bill.

Additionally, Hoeven addressed the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) affecting the poultry industry. Secretary Rollins recently announced a $1 billion, five-point plan aimed at improving biosecurity, assisting affected producers, and reducing consumer prices. Hoeven is working alongside Rollins to implement this plan and discussed strategies with witnesses on managing the current outbreak and preventing future incidents.

"The CCC is an incredibly important tool that provides flexibility to Congress and the administration to be responsive to needs in farm country and deal with issues promptly," said Hoeven. "Just this week, the CCC is being utilized to fund our response to avian influenza. I commend Secretary Rollins for acting quickly to respond to this outbreak, and I look forward to working with her and stakeholders to help producers recover, prevent future incidents and bring down egg prices for consumers."

The hearing provided an opportunity for feedback from agricultural producers nationwide as they face ongoing challenges while efforts continue toward passing a robust farm bill that supports farmers and ranchers.