Washington, DC – Earlier today, Congressman Alford and his colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 out of committee by a vote of 33-21. This year’s Farm Bill not only ensures proper safety nets for our farmers, ranchers, and producers, but also gives them the tools they need to prosper.
Within the package, the Congressman secured the following wins for Missouri and America’s agriculture community as a whole.
- Congressman Alford’s A-Plus Act (H.R. 530) was included.
- The legislation grants livestock auction owners the ability to invest in a packing facility, as long as:
- With respect to cattle and sheep, the packing facility has a cumulative slaughter capacity of less than 2,000 animals per day or 700,000 animals per year.
- With respect to hogs, the packing facility has a cumulative slaughter capacity of less than 10,000 animals per day or 3 million animals per year.
- The Supporting All Healthy Options When Purchasing Produce (SHOPP) Act (H.R. 3127) was included in this package.
- These provisions will ensure all forms (frozen, fresh, canned, and dried) of fruits and vegetables are eligible under the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GUSNIP).
- The package includes provisions from Congressman Alford’s Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act (H.R. 5134).
- It will reauthorize and improve the BioPreferred Program by requiring the Secretary to issue procurement guidance to agencies, direct to develop NAICS and NAPCS codes, and require a study on nationally uniform labelling standards and terminology.
- Congressman Alford co-led the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Communication Regarding Oversight of Pesticides (CROP) Act of 2023.
- The Farm Bill includes key provisions from this legislation creating a more equitable balance of USDA and EPA input. It will also ensure pesticide regulations reflect both producer and environmental considerations.
- Inspired by Congressman Alford’s HPAI Act (H.R. 5096), the Farm Bill directs USDA to conduct a report on their preparedness to support livestock producers and poultry growers facing economic losses in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak.
- The legislation also reforms certain reporting requirements under the Agriculture and Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) to ensure accuracy and transparency of data on farmland owned by foreign persons or entities.
- This is inspired by legislation co-led by Congressman Mark Alford (the AFIDA Improvements Act of 2024, (H.R. 7131).
Congressman Mark Alford issued the following statement:
“The agriculture community is the foundation to America. My colleagues and I on the House Agriculture Committee have worked tirelessly to ensure our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and agri-businesses have the resources they need to succeed. Today’s Farm Bill is a product of that work.
Our farmers are some of the hardest-working people in our country and the Farm Bill we put together recognizes that. I am proud to join my colleagues in this passage of this legislation and look forward to pushing it across the finish line on the House Floor.”
Chairman GT Thompson added:
“The House Committee on Agriculture has worked exhaustively to craft an effective Farm Bill that meets the needs of our hardworking farmers, revitalizes rural America, and strengthens our national security. Thank you to Rep. Alford for his leadership throughout this process. I am confident that the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 will provide certainty to producers and consumers in Missouri and across the nation.”
Media inquiries for Rep. Alford should be directed to Austin Higginbotham at Austin.Higginbotham@mail.house.gov.
