As this article goes to print, the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation continues to focus on key policy priorities established by the voting delegates at the MFBF Annual Convention in December 2019. In this column, I would like to highlight the numerous issues Mississippi’s largest general agriculture organization continues to work on for its members.
Support for Sweet Potatoes 
MFBF continues to work closely with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Congress to get sweet potato operations qualified for the USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). MFBF led multiple coalition letters requesting USDA modify their interpretation of potatoes in storage being ineligible for CFAP. We have also engaged Congressman Trent Kelly’s office. At a recent congressional hearing, Kelly made an official request to USDA Under Secretary Greg Ibach to look into this issue and respond to the Congressman’s office. Dialogue between Congress, USDA and industry stakeholders continues on this issue.
Contract Poultry Grower Assistance
Farm Bureau has worked diligently on a major effort to get direct assistance to contract poultry growers appropriated in the next major CARES Act-type legislation. Farm Bureau compiled a team of economists from Mississippi State University, Louisiana State University, Auburn University, the University of Arkansas, Texas A&M University and the University of Georgia to produce a two-page economic paper on the potential loss of revenue in 2020 to accompany Farm Bureau’s request of Congress.
MFBF has led this coalition among the states and is currently working with the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Chicken Council and the offices of U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Chris Coons (D-DE) to get this legislation included in the next major package. If successful, this support will be a major historical event.
In late July, the Senate released their legislative proposal for the next major CARES legislation. The Senate package appropriates $20 billion to the Office of the Secretary for multiple commodities, including “growers who produce livestock or poultry under a contract for another entity.” Currently, the House, Senate and White House are negotiating this next CARES legislation. Farm Bureau will continue to work on this issue as Congress debates this next package.
AFBF Beef Market Committee 
After the beef market experienced drastic movements and challenges during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, AFBF President Zippy Duvall created a task force of state presidents to look at these issues and provide recommendations to the AFBF Board of Directors. MFBF President Mike McCormick was appointed to this working group. So far, the group has met six times with economists, industry officials and other stakeholder groups. Currently, the group is working on policy recommendations to submit to the state Farm Bureaus for policy development.
Federal Communication Commission Precision Ag Task Force
MFBF President McCormick has continued his work as a member of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Precision Ag Taskforce during 2020. McCormick was appointed to this 15-member task force focused on the broadband needs of rural America, specific to precision agriculture, in 2019. He chairs the “Encouraging Adoption” and “Jobs” working groups. He has participated in more than 12 meetings via Zoom with his working group members. During their meetings, the groups look at various policy areas in broadband deployment, focusing on contribution reform, data and data management, and interoperability. His working group will complete their report to provide a set of recommendations to the FCC Commission by the end of September.
Dicamba
In early June, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals discontinued the registration of three major dicamba herbicides licensed with Bayer’s Xtend technology. When this occurred, MFBF staff worked with AFBF to request the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) use the Existing Stocks Rule. The EPA used the rules strongly. MFBF led a coalition letter, also signed by seven other states in the southeast, to the EPA asking for the rule. The EPA cited excerpts from MFBF’s letter and AFBF’s letter in the cancellation order notice. On August 7, MFBF led a Mississippi-based coalition letter to EPA in support of the re-registration of dicamba. Farm Bureau will continue to advocate for the use of these products for the 2021 crop year.
RMA Batture Lands Study
At the request of MFBF, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)proposed an amendment to the 2018 Farm Bill commissioning a study by the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) to review changes to the federal crop insurance program covering the batture farm land along the Mississippi River south of Vicksburg, which is subject to frequent flooding. In March, RMA awarded a contract to a research firm to conduct an independent study. In late July, MFBF hosted representatives from this firm for a series of farm listening sessions and tours of the area to see and visit the problem first hand. Farm Bureau will continue working with this firm to develop changes to existing crop insurance programs that will address the ongoing challenges this area faces each year.
F.A.R.M Fund Political Action Committee (PAC) Update
In January 2020, MFBF launched the Furthering Agriculture for Rural Mississippians Fund federal Political Action Committee (PAC), or the F.A.R.M Fund, after 93% of MFBF delegates voted in favor of its establishment at the 2019 Annual Convention Business Session. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, F.A.R.M. Fund leadership decided to hold the annual election via mail-in ballot. 
The following members were elected as permanent board members of the PAC Governing Committee:
- Mike Ferguson (Chair) – Tate County
- David Waide – Clay County
- Dan Bishop – Lee County
- Matthew Poe – Pontotoc County
- Kirk Satterfield – Bolivar County
- Willard Jack – Humphreys County
- Lonnie Fortner – Claiborne County
- Janelle Good – Noxubee County
- Janet Parker – Covington County
- Brian Rhodes – Rankin County
- Mike Keith – Lamar County
- Dot Cole – Perry County
- B. Brown – Stone County
AFBF staff and other speakers briefed the newly elected PGC on key 2020 congressional races during the committee’s August Zoom meeting. As of mid-August, MFBF members contributed more than $56,000 to the F.A.R.M. Fund. The goal is to collect $75,000 in 2020. We encourage you to do your part to support the F.A.R.M. fund. You can contact me directly for more information.
Justin Ferguson is the Federal Affairs Coordinator at the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.