Irrigation Efficiency Efforts Hang In The Balance As Congress Deliberates The Farm Bill

摘要

CONTINUING the reauthorization process that started back in 2010, Congress is deliberating a Farm Bill that will revamp and update current agricultural programs, create new programs, and set the tone for agricultural policy for the next five years. While the current debate primarily focuses on phasing out direct subsidies and cutting the amount of funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a number of widely supported farmer and rancher benefits are at risk of being lost in the shuffle.The Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the pending Regional Conservation Partnership Program, both part of the conservation title, are prime examples of key programs that are being swept up in the debate, even though they are universally supported among Republicans and Democrats alike.