Agribusiness Update for Tuesday 5/7/13

This is the Agribusiness Update...I’m Greg Martin...

A couple of key issues may wind up on Capital Hill this week, Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow would like to begin a mark-up of the farm bill this Thursday although one Senator says it might not happen until next Tuesday. It is possible that the Senate Ag will take the bill it passed last year and use it as a starting point - but some changes will need to be made.

Also on the Hill the Senate Judiciary Committee has already scheduled a mark-up of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act for Thursday morning. This bill includes farmworker provisions. Amendments to the bill must be filed and circulated by 5 o’clock this evening.

The deadline to respond to the 2012 Census of Agriculture is May 31st - and Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the U.S. needs the help of farmers and ranchers to ensure decisions about U.S. agriculture accurately represent them, their communities and the industry. For every 158 people in this country - Vilsack says there is one farm - and he urges farmers and ranchers to respond to the Census.

That’s today’s Agribusiness Update from the Ag Information Network.