June 9, 2022
Senate to hold Farm Bill field hearing in Jonesboro on June 17
By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast facts:
- Field hearing to be held at Arkansas State University
- Hearing will also be livestreamed
- RSVPs encouraged
(307 words)
UNDATED — With the 2023 Farm Bill in the works, Arkansans involved in agriculture are invited to attend a U.S. Senate committee field hearing June 17 at Jonesboro.
U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; and John Boozman of Arkansas, ranking member of the committee; announced the committee will hold the hearing at Arkansas State University in Riceland Hall of the school’s Fowler Center.
The meeting is scheduled to run from 9 a.m.- 11 a.m.
“Holding field hearings around the country has traditionally been a part of shaping any new farm legislation,” said Scott Stiles, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “The upcoming hearing in Arkansas is an opportunity for our producers and industry stakeholders to provide input for the 2023 Farm Bill on a number of issues from strengthening our current farm safety net to improving rural economies and infrastructure.”
The last Farm Bill was signed into law in 2018.
Stiles said that “despite strong commodity prices, our agricultural producers are especially concerned about historically high input costs. The current Farm Bill safety net isn't designed to handle a dramatic increase in production costs.”
Thanks to global conflict and other causes, fertilizer and fuel prices have reached record levels. The current farm safety net is designed to address price and yield risk or a combination of the two.
“It is not designed to account for reductions in net farm income due to increased costs of production,” Stiles said. “This is a key concern on the minds of not only Arkansas producers, but producers across the United States.”
RSVPs are encouraged by end of day June 10 and can be made by contacting contact Patrick Creamer or Sara Lasure.
For those unable to attend in person, the meeting will be streamed live at ag.senate.gov.
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact:
Mary Hightower
Chief Communications Officer
mhightower@uada.edu
501-671-2006