The fiscal year 2017 Agricultural and Energy and Water Appropriations bills have been analyzed by the American Soybean Association (ASA).
The ASA determined the bills could have a real impact on soybean operations.
“Predictably, there are positives and negatives in each of these drafts,” ASA President Richard Wilkins said. “While the Energy and Water Appropriations bill looks to be very positive with regard to soybean farmer priorities, there are some issues we’re concerned about in the Agriculture Appropriations bill that we hope will be ironed out in the long run.”
The Energy and Water Appropriations bill prohibits the use of funds to implement the controversial Clean Water Rule, also known as Waters of the United States Act, and funding for waterways infrastructure.
ASA is concerned by the number of cuts in the agricultural appropriations bill to conservation programs like the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
“The cuts ... are not conducive to our farmers’ conservation goals on their farms,” Wilkins said. “We count on these programs to help us hit our conservation benchmarks, and we won’t support the significant cuts contained in the House proposal.”
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