The Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 2 – Agriculture Improvement Act (or Farm Bill) that recently passed in the U.S. House of Representatives had some strong Utah influence and will benefit the Basin’s farmers and ranchers. Representative Rob Bishop was asked to negotiate the final version of the Farm Bill by the House Speaker Paul Ryan. Representative Bishop says, “This legislation is one of the most western-friendly Farm Bills to come through Congress in some time. This bill is good for Utah and good for America. Utah’s farmers and ranchers will find stronger support, enhanced certainty, and flexibility as they do their work. Especially for dairy farmers, these measures are long overdue.” A few provisions to note is the reauthorization of Livestock Forage Program that provides livestock producers with assistance in times of drought and a strengthening of funding for incentive-based programs like EQIP that help Utahns fight the effects of drought conditions.
