BILLINGS — Lane Nordlund has the Montana Ag Network report for Friday, March 13, 2020.
#1 Considering the anxiety and uncertainty that has resulted from the spread of the coronavirus, the Montana FFA Association and its stakeholders announced Thursday that they are delaying their annual convention. The event was set for March 25-28 at Montana Expo Park in Great Falls. The decision was made by the Montana FFA Association, Board of Trustees, Montana FFA Foundation, along with the Montana State University AG Education Department.
#2 In the last few days the U.S. Capitol complex and Congressional offices have been closed to the public and a state of emergency declaration was made by the Mayor of Washington, D.C. Being unable to meet with elected and appointed officials The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is canceling its Spring Legislative Conference, scheduled for March 31-April 2. And, Public Lands Council’s annual legislative conference, was also cancelled. There are no plans to reschedule NCBA’s Legislative Conference in 2020.
#3 This week, Member’s of the Montana Wool Growers association were able to meet with elected officials in Washington D.C. before Capitol Hill shut down. They were apart of the American Sheep Industry Association Annual Legislative fly in.
Jim: It's extremely important. All day yesterday We were in agency meetings. We met with Department of Agriculture folks and then we went over to the EPA and then we went over and met with the Department of interior and those meetings are important is our evidence by the fact that your listeners are going to be aware of the fact that the department of interior made a big announcement last Friday that they're making some regulatory changes to the way grizzly bears are managed in Montana and and that type of announcement and those kind of policy changes Wouldn't be made without meeting with the federal agencies that regulate public lands and Wildlife. So extremely important for us to meet with federal agencies directly and then to me with our Congressional Delegation as well to tell them what our legislative priorities are.
#4 Farmers have until Monday, March 16th to complete their 2019 crop year elections for enrollment in the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs. Producers who do not contact FSA for an appointment by close of business local time on Monday, March 16 will not be enrolled in ARC or PLC for the 2019 crop year and will be ineligible to receive payment should one trigger for an eligible crop. ARC and PLC provide income support to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms. Contract your local fsa office today for more.
