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COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR YOUNG FARMER PROPOSALS
Charleston, W.Va. – West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass said that proposals in the current farm bill could go a long way in helping young farmers buy land and conserve that land once they get it.
“I think the young farmer provisions in the current farm bill are excellent ideas and necessary to encourage the next generation of farmers,” said Commissioner Douglass. “Unless young West Virginians choose to farm, we will lose more and more of our local food production, and an increasing amount of our green spaces will be consumed by development.”
Commissioner Douglass singled out two proposals in particular.
The first would help beginning farmers and ranchers purchase land by cutting in half the interest rate of the current Farmer and Rancher Down Payment Loan Program to two percent. The initial payment would be deferred for one year.
The same proposal would also double the potential buying power of beginning farmers by increasing the maximum down payment loan from $100,000 to $200,000. The minimum contribution required from a beginning farmer would drop from 10 percent of the purchase price to five percent.
The $200,000 statutory limit on USDA direct operating loans and the $200,000 limit on direct ownership loans would increase to a maximum of $500,000 in indebtedness for any combination of the two loan types. Beginning farmers also would be given priority in obtaining direct farm operating and ownership loans.
To encourage conservation practices, the second proposal would reserve 10 percent of farm bill conservation financial assistance for beginning farmers and ranchers. The majority of beginning farmers and ranchers often farm smaller acreages, which are not always competitive when seeking conservation support. In addition, beginning farmers and ranchers may be unfamiliar with conservation practices. Reserving these funds will result in greater overall environmental benefits and additional assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers.
The farm bill proposals released January 31 are based on comments and suggestions received from farmers, ranchers and other stakeholders during 52 USDA Farm Bill Forums across the nation and via mail and the internet. These proposals represent the final phase of a nearly two year process. To access the full 183 page document or to access the proposals by title go to www.USDA.gov/farmbill.
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The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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