Farm bill debate kicks off after week’s delay

Financial challenges within the ag and food sectors will be at the center of discussions during the House Ag’s markup of a farm bill from Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa. Deliberations are set to start late Tuesday afternoon after being postponed for a week due to a winter storm. The committee’s top-ranking Democrat, Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig, says the bill as written is full of non-starters, including provisions on pesticide labeling, livestock welfare and hemp. … A major risk to American agriculture from military conflict in Iran stems from the Mideast’s crucial role in setting global prices for the key farm inputs of fuel, fertilizer and freight. “Even indirect impacts can pressure already-thin margins,” AFBF economist Daniel Munch said in an analysis last year.