The American Farm Bureau Federation has set their policy goals for 2020, including another round of trade aid for farmers. “Our members are basically saying, ‘Show us results,’” said Scott VanderWal, the group’s national vice president. He noted that “no products have moved, implementation has not happened yet, and it is kind of a ‘prove it to me’ thing.”
They also are calling for a review of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and its crop reporting program, including its methodology and track record. “The June 2019 Acreage report was a debacle, and it seems like each NASS report this year has contained surprises and unexpected market impacts, etc.,” Farm Bureau said.
The group also wants USDA to amend its hemp production framework to allow for plants with up to one percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the chemical in cannabis), compared with the current limit of 0.3%. USDA's interim hemp rule requires “hot” crops to be destroyed at 0.5% THC levels.
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