Congressional ag committees to work on farm bills

It’s spring. Farmers have taken to fields to plant their 2013 fall crops, and congressional agriculture committees are taking another stab at enacting a new farm bill. The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on May 14, by a vote of 15 to 5, approved the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013. The bill was written by Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, chairwoman of the agriculture committee, and ranking member Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi.The House Committee on Agriculture was meeting May 15 to consider its version of the farm bill, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, which was drafted by Representative Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, chairman of the agriculture committee, and Representative Collin Peterson of Minnesota, the ranking member on the committee.