Congressman Hanna discusses reforms at HP Hood processing facility
(Oneida, NY – Feb. 17, 2014) U.S. Representative Richard Hanna was at the HP Hood processing facility recently to discuss the local impacts a new Farm Bill will have on farmers in Central New York.
Hanna spoke about the benefits of a new five-year Farm Bill, which was signed into law last week. Joining Rep. Hanna were HP Hood executives as well as representatives from the New York Farm Bureau.
The Farm Bill sets the agenda for the next five years and gives stability to New York farmers instead of merely just extending the current, outdated policies. It transitions to a more modern dairy support system and supports the kinds of farming seen in New York such as specialty crops and organics, Rep. Hanna said.
“While not perfect, this Farm Bill is clearly a win for upstate New York,” Rep. Hanna said. “Farmers are businesspeople who need to be able to plan effectively. In Central New York, our farmers have been waiting a long time for Congress to pass a new five-year farm bill. This bill finally provides our agriculture businesses and rural communities with the support and certainty they deserve.”
For more than 160 years, the name Hood has been synonymous with fresh, quality dairy products that taste great. Founded in 1846 in Charlestown, Mass. by Harvey Perley Hood, the company has since extended its New England roots, and today Hood is a national company distributing dairy products throughout the United States. In fact, HP Hood is now one of the country’s largest branded dairy operators with 15 manufacturing plants throughout the United States.
ABOUT THE FARM BILL
The new Farm Bill provides certainty to America’s farmers, saves taxpayers’ money, and repeals outdated government programs while reforming, streamlining and consolidating others.
The Farm Bill also reforms and reauthorizes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), while addressing fraud and misuse in the system, and saving taxpayers billions of dollars. It also provides more support for local food banks.
While this Farm Bill supports our important Upstate priorities, it is also serious reform bill. It repeals outdated programs, consolidates duplicative ones, and reduces regulatory barriers that impede job creation in rural America. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill would reduce the deficit by almost $17 billion over 10 years.
“New York Farm Bureau greatly appreciates Representative Hanna’s support and effort that helped get the Farm Bill passed in the House,” said Dean Norton, New York Farm Bureau President. “There is much in this Farm Bill that will benefit New York agriculture. Expanded safety nets will help our dairy farmers better withstand large market swings and will extend a greater level of protection to many fruit and vegetable growers who previously had few options available following a natural disaster. There are also provisions that support many of our organic farmers. By investing in crop research and reducing the financial burden needed to become organically certified, the Farm Bill helps to fill a variety of consumer demands for local food.”
Among the highlights of the Farm Bill of particular importance to upstate New York:
Dairy: The bill makes major reforms to our nation’s dairy policy. It ends outdated and ineffective dairy programs and replaces them with a new, voluntary margin insurance protection program and excludes heavy-handed government milk supply controls. The program provides particular consideration for smaller dairy farms with fewer than 200 cows, like many in New York, by making higher levels of protection more affordable for them.
Crop insurance: The bill expands crop insurance options and addresses underserved crops, providing more protection for Upstate fruit and vegetable producers.
Specialty crops: Producers of specialty crops like fruits and vegetables, nuts, and nursery crops would benefit from a robust authorization of Specialty Crop Block Grants and the Specialty Crop Research Initiative.
Organics: As co-chair of the Congressional Organic Caucus, Rep. Hanna worked to ensure this growing New York industry received adequate support in the Farm Bill through strong reauthorization of the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative as well as the Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives.
Consumers: Under the Farm Bill, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program will help provide fresh, local produce to low-income students. The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program will provide seniors with access to New York farm products. Additionally, the Farmers Market Promotion Program will be enhanced to help develop new food hubs, distribution and transportation networks.
Beginning farmers: The bill extends programs to assist beginning and young farmers by providing these new farmers with discounted on crop insurance and credit opportunities to start businesses and create jobs.
Local olive oil jobs: The bill excludes, thanks to an amendment Rep. Hanna co-sponsored with Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY), a provision that would have hurt local businesses like Sovena USA in Rome by raising the cost of imported olive oil. The amendment was accepted and it helps protect jobs in the Mohawk Valley.
Rural Development and Conservation: The Farm Bill improves conservation programs to make them easier to use to protect the environment. For example, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and farmland protection programs will continue to help farmers protect Upstate landscapes. Additionally, the bill provides rural New York communities a boost by supporting broadband deployment and water infrastructure development.