WASHINGTON -- An Arkansas agricultural leader appeared before members of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee on Thursday to discuss needed changes to farm bill programs.
Jeff Rutledge of Newport was one of five witnesses who participated in a subcommittee hearing regarding conservation initiatives affecting farmers and ranchers. The testimonies and answers are part of lawmakers' campaign to seek feedback on the law and possible improvements to programs related to nutrition, rural development, land conservation and federal investment.
Rutledge cultivates rice, corn and soybeans. He serves as a member with multiple agriculture organizations, including an ongoing tenure as vice president of the Agriculture Council of Arkansas and an inaugural member of the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Partnership Committee.
Previous farm bills include support for programs encouraging farmers and ranchers to conserve resources and foster relationships with regional partners; Rutledge mentioned the ongoing partnership between the rice industry and Ducks Unlimited as a byproduct of the 2013 farm bill. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., has argued these programs are successful because efforts are "voluntary, incentive-based and locally led."
According to Rutledge, rice farmers benefit from conservation programs. He said farmers see these programs as a tool to promote "economically beneficial practices" and take steps to increase productivity.
"Farm bill conservation programs are important to the U.S. rice industry, and most important, they are voluntary, incentive-based and follow a locally-led model, which is critical to widespread adoption by rice farmers," he told senators.
Yet Rutledge stressed there are issues with programs under the current agriculture law. Demand for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program outpace funding by a 3-to-1 ratio across the country and in Arkansas.
Rutledge cautioned lawmakers against implementing changes prioritizing a natural resource concern or strategies over other actions, emphasizing the importance of locally-led efforts.
"Because rice is a unique cropping system and a 100% irrigated crop, conservation programs should not provide one-size-fits-all solutions," he mentioned. "For instance, focusing solely on a practice like cover cropping that most rice farmers cannot utilize would be inequitable for rice farmers."
The relationship between USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited is an example of a partnership stemming from the farm bill's Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The agreement involves funding farmers' conservation practices -- including new irrigation techniques -- to reduce water use and improve soil conservation. According to Rutledge, the partnership has affected more than 800,000 acres of rice and provided an additional $108 million for conservation efforts.
Rutledge warned lawmakers about the long-term viability of the project, noting administrative barriers for producers to participate.
"[Ducks Unlimited] came to the industry, recognized the symbiotic relationship between rice and ducks and the habitat that we provide during the winter flyways," Rutledge told Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., the subcommittee's top Republican.
"They've been very instrumental in that partnership, bringing millions of dollars in conservation funding to the rice-production area that provides that winter waterfowl habitat that we do [have] just as a natural means of producing our crop."
Rutledge additionally advocated for improvements to the agricultural safety net -- which includes crop insurance and disaster recovery programs -- noting the risks facing agriculture producers and threats to profitability.
"If we're not in business, then we're not producing food," he said.
Boozman, the full committee's ranking member, expressed concerns about farmers being unable to access conservation funds allocated in last year's Inflation Reduction Act. The sweeping law, which Congress passed last August, dedicated resources to assist farmers with implementing conservation and climate change strategies.
"We do have potential access to a significant amount of money," the Rogers senator said.
Boozman, citing the Inflation Reduction Act funding, asked Rutledge about the limitations of programs if Congress prioritized natural resource concerns and solutions. Rutledge responded by noting there are as many natural resource concerns "as there are farms."
"The practices don't fit everywhere. There's no one-size-fits-all solution to what works best and what best protects natural resources on any individual farm, even within one individual farm," Rutledge said.
The current farm bill is set to expire Sept. 30. Congress could extend the law if lawmakers cannot finalize new legislation before the deadline.