U.S. Senator John Boozman and Representative Bruce Westerman made their way to Southeast Arkansas on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, to discuss the upcoming 2024 Farm Bill.
The event, which was hosted by the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, was open to the public.
As the largest contributor to the Arkansas economy through food crops, timber, and livestock, agriculture plays a crucial role in the state's economy. The U.S. Farm Bill has a significant impact on the agricultural and rural economies through its agricultural and conservation projects and nutrition programs.
During this listening session, Senator John Boozman and Representative Bruce Westerman held a panel discussion with agriculture and forestry stakeholders of Southeast Arkansas. The discussion focused on learning how their issues and concerns can be addressed in the development of the 2024 Farm Bill.
The Farm Bill is an extensive, multiyear law that governs an array of food, agriculture, and natural resource conservation programs. Initially, farm bills focused on farm commodity revenue supports, but over the years, the legislation's programs have become increasingly expansive, particularly with the inclusion of the nutrition title in 1973. Typically reauthorized every five years, the most recent farm bill, the $428 billion Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, was signed into law in December 2018 and expires on September 30, 2023.
This listening session provided an opportunity for the agriculture and forestry stakeholders of Southeast Arkansas to have their voices heard by their representatives in the development of the next Farm Bill.
