Rural Mainstreet Index Soars to Record High: 90% of Bankers Report Labor Shortages Restraining Growth
For the sixth straight month, the Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) climbed above growth neutral. According to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
Overall: The overall index for May jumped to a record high of 78.8 from April’s very healthy 69.0. The index ranges between 0 and 100 with a reading of 50.0 representing growth neutral.
Approximately, 60.6% of bank CEOs reported that their local economy expanded between April and May.
“Strong grain prices, the Federal Reserve’s record-low interest rates, and growing exports have underpinned the Rural Mainstreet Economy. Even so, current rural economic activity remains below pre-pandemic levels,” said Ernie Goss, PhD, Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business.
Almost nine of 10 bank CEOs indicated hiring at their bank and in the area was restraining growth.
Farming and ranching: For an eighth straight month, the farmland price index advanced above growth neutral. The May reading slipped from April’s nine-year high climbed of 78.6 to 78.1 for May. This is first time since 2013 that Creighton’s survey has recorded eight straight months of farmland prices above growth neutral.
On average, bankers reported annual cash rent per acre of $228 which represented growth of 7.3% over the past 12 months.
The May farm equipment-sales index rose to 67.9, its highest level since 2013, and up from April’s 67.5. After 86 straight months of readings below growth neutral, farm equipment sales bounced into growth territory for the last six months.
Below are the state reports:
Nebraska: The Nebraska RMI for May climbed to 88.0 from April’s 77.1. The state’s farmland-price index inched to 82.7 from last month’s 82.6. Nebraska’s new-hiring index jumped to 78.3 from 67.5 in April. Despite recent solid job gains, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicate that Nebraska’s Rural Mainstreet nonfarm employment is more than 2,100 jobs, or 0.7%, above its pre-COVID-19 level. Jon Schmaderer, president of Tri-County Bank in Stuart, said, “Our biggest challenge today in rural Nebraska is attracting sufficient workforce and "across the board inflation.” However, the biggest near-term threat for our Agriculture community and small businesses across all of Rural America are the proposed changes to our tax structure.”
Iowa: The May RMI for Iowa ballooned to 79.9 from 69.8 in April. Iowa’s farmland-price index was unchanged 78.6 in April. Iowa’s new-hiring index for May climbed to 68.4 from 63.5 in April. Despite recent solid job gains, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicate that Iowa’s Rural Mainstreet nonfarm employment remains more than 19,000 jobs, or 2.9%, below its pre-COVID-19 level. Larry Winum, CEO of Glenwood State Bank in Glenwood reported, “If we as a country want to maintain our strong economic position in the world, it is time to get our fiscal house in order. In my view, we all have a responsibility to be a part of the solution and hold our elected officials and the Federal Reserve accountable.”
Each month, community bank presidents and CEOs in nonurban agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of a 10-state area are surveyed regarding current economic conditions in their communities, and their projected economic outlooks six months down the road. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming are included.
This survey represents an early snapshot of the economy of rural agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of the nation. The Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) is a unique index covering 10 regional states, focusing on approximately 200 rural communities with an average population of 1,300. It gives the most current real-time analysis of the rural economy. Goss and Bill McQuillan, former chairman of the Independent Community Banks of America, created the monthly economic survey in 2005 and launched in January 2006.
TEAM IDS KEY TO SORGHUM’S HEAT RESILIENCE, AIMS TO BOOST CORN’S TOLERANCE
Although sorghum is known to be much more heat- and drought-tolerant than its close relative corn, the underlying reason for this difference is not well-established. Solving this mystery may be key to developing corn that is more resilient to high temperatures and the often dry summer conditions in Nebraska and other parts of the Midwest.
A University of Nebraska–Lincoln team led by former postdoctoral fellow Lucas Busta, working in the lab of Ed Cahoon, director of the Center for Plant Science Innovation, has taken a big step toward identifying the biochemical and genetic basis for the large differences in the ability of corn and sorghum to tolerate environmental extremes. The research was recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
These differences, which make sorghum a grain and forage crop of choice for semi-arid climates, have been attributed in part to the large amounts of wax that coat sorghum’s leaves and stems and serve as a barrier to water loss, especially at high temperatures.
The research team discovered that sorghum not only has more wax on its surfaces than corn, but also a highly enriched, steroid-like wax on mature plants. The abundance of this particular kind of wax was missed in previous sorghum analyses.
The team also found that corn wax is devoid of this wax component. The steroid wax has been shown to “seal” the wax of some desert plants to further reduce water loss. Comparing the genomes of sorghum and corn, the team concluded that the key gene for steroid wax production is mutated in corn, resulting in the loss of its ability to make the steroid wax.
This was a big discovery, particularly for a young researcher, Cahoon said.
“He had his own fellowship, and I left him alone to do his work,” he said. “It wasn’t until he showed me the manuscript that I thought, ‘Wow, this is really interesting.’”
Busta, now an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth, is working with Husker scientist Tom Clemente to add the non-mutated sorghum gene to corn. The researchers hope the modified corn will gain the ability to make steroidal waxes for improved production in high-temperature, low-rainfall seasons and in regions of the world not currently suited for corn production.
“We’ve found an extremely interesting correlation, and the next step is to test this,” Busta said.
The Cahoon lab is also exploring the potential to divert a portion of sorghum’s high wax content to produce high-value oils as co-products in bioenergy sorghum. Those efforts are part of Cahoon’s work with the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and housed at the University of Illinois.
The research team also included Husker alumna Elizabeth Schmitz, James Schnable from Nebraska’s Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, and Dylan Kosma from the University of Nevada.
The study is available at https://www.pnas.org/content/118/12/e2022982118.long.
ALFALFA IRRIGATION BEFORE FIRST CUTTING
– Brad Schick, NE Extension Educator
Low soil moisture levels in many areas across the state may mean irrigating alfalfa before the first cutting. Have you considered irrigating early?
Early season watering is not a typical practice, but when soil profiles are dry, it needs to be considered. For soil that is still dry from last fall, now is the time to irrigate alfalfa, building moisture up in the profile for later in the year when the heat of the summer increases water requirements.
Spring irrigation will make irrigating in summer easier and more efficient for the alfalfa by encouraging deep root growth. During the peak of summer heat and growth, alfalfa water needs may reach one half inch per day. Shallow roots are unable to keep up with increased demand during the summer heat. Instead, alfalfa relies upon deep roots that can extend down to depths of 8 ft. Irrigating only enough to maintain growth in the summer will promote the growth of shallow roots and end up increasing demand in the long run.
Alfalfa also doesn’t like overly wet feet. To keep up with summer demand, the soil surface and first few inches may stay too wet. Oxygen needs for roots will be limited and performance with suffer.
Finally, be sure to have adequate moisture in your alfalfa before cutting. If irrigating occurs before the alfalfa plant has begun to regrow after cutting, weed growth will be promoted instead.
Water early to make sure the top six feet of soil have ample water for the summer months.
Beef Cows Needed!
Nebraska Cattlemen sponsor the Nebraska State Fair Birthing Pavilion which is held August 27 – September 6 The birthing pavilion is one of the most popular spots at the Nebraska State Fair. Over 3,500 students visit the birthing pavilion during the Nebraska’s Largest Classroom.
Beef Mamma Cows are needed for the Nebraska State Fair Birthing Pavilion. Bred Cows are displayed in the birthing pavilion. Cows need to be people friendly and should be scheduled to calve between August 27 and September 6. If you have any questions please contact Gina Hudson at 402-469-3157.
USDA Seeks Nominees for the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board. Nominations are due June 6, 2021, for 32 producer and three importer seats. Appointed members will serve three-year terms beginning February 2022 and ending February 2025.
Any beef producer in the United States who owns cattle or any importer that imports
cattle or beef may be nominated. Producers and importers must be nominated by a USDA certified producer organization and submit a completed application. USDA will select appointees from the nominated producers and importers.
Nomination forms and a list of certified producer organizations in each state or unit are
available on the AMS Cattlemen’s Beef Board webpage https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/research-promotion/beef. Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985 and is composed of 101 members representing 34 separate states, four units of geographically grouped states, and one importer unit.
Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board and Nebraska Sorghum Producers Association to Host United Nations Food Systems Summit Independent Dialogue on June 7th
The Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board and the Nebraska Sorghum Producers Association will host and moderate a United Nations (UN) Food Systems Summit Independent Dialogue on Monday, June 7th. The Dialogue will take place virtually, beginning at 3pm cdt and concluding at 5pm cdt. More information about how the public can participate in the event can be found here: Nexus Nebraska: Collaborative Convergence of Sustainability, Entrepreneurial Development, Healthy Foods, International Aid, and Ag Education - Food Systems Summit Dialogues
Panelists participating in the “Nexus Nebraska: Collaborative Convergence of Sustainability, Entrepreneurial Development, Healthy Foods, International Aid, and Ag Education” include:
1. Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program: Director Dr. Tom Field
2. Nebraska Food for Health Center: Director Dr. Andrew Benson
3. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Director Dr. Peter McCornick
4. The Institute for Ag and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska:
Vice Chancellor Dr. Mike Boehm
5. Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture:
Vice Chancellor for Administration and Operations Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture Dr. Ron Rosati
6. United Sorghum Checkoff: Director of Sustainability Ms. Kira Everhart-Valentin
7. Nebraska Secretary of State: Assistant Secretary of State: Ms. Cindi Allen
8. Vivayic: CEO Mr. Seth Derner
9. University of Nebraska – Lincoln: One Health Coordinator Dr. Elizabeth VanWormer
10. United States Farmers and Ranchers Association/Nebraska Soybean Board: Chairwoman/Treasurer Ms. Anne Meis
11. Rainfed Foods: CEO Ms. Sujala Balaji
“We are thrilled to host such a comprehensive panel showcasing Nebraska’s contributions as they relate to stated UN Food Systems summit priorities around Healthy Foods, Sustainability, Economic Prosperity, and Ag Education,” stated Nebraska Sorghum Executive Director, Nate Blum. “Those priorities all converge in, and adjacent to, Nebraska Institutions. This Independent Dialogue is an excellent opportunity to showcase the great work being done in and around Nebraska Agriculture in the public and private sectors. More importantly, this is our chance to help inform state and global policies which will impact agriculture for decades to come. The Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board and the Nebraska Sorghum Producers Association is especially grateful to all of our partner organizations undertaking this critical effort.”
The United Nations Food Systems Summit is scheduled to take place in New York City on September 13, 2021. Per UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the Summit “serves as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Summit will launch bold new actions to deliver progress on all 17 SDGs, each of which relies to some degree on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems.
The Summit will awaken the world to the fact that we all must work together to transform the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food. It is a summit for everyone everywhere – a people’s summit. It is also a solutions summit that will require everyone to take action to transform the world’s food systems.
Guided by five Action Tracks, the Summit will bring together key players from the worlds of science, business, policy, healthcare and academia, as well as farmers, indigenous people, youth organizations, consumer groups, environmental activists, and other key stakeholders. Before, during and after the Summit, these actors will come together to bring about tangible, positive changes to the world’s food systems.”
Registration Open For 61st USGC Annual Board of Delegates Meeting
Registration is now open for the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) 61st Annual Board of Delegates Hybrid Meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, July 28 – Friday, July 30, 2021, in Des Moines, Iowa. Delegates will have the option to attend in-person or virtually. Please note that because the original destination, Calgary, Canada, was moved due to pandemic restrictions, the dates and days of the week have also changed.
“In this final meeting as your chairman, we are pulling out all the stops by offering it both in person and virtually so you can reconnect and engage with Council staff from D.C. and around the world - however you choose to build relationships and deepen your understanding of the critical efforts they undertake for our industry,” said Jim Raben, USGC chairman.
During the meeting, Council members will get the latest market updates, hear from motivational speakers and participate in Advisory Teams (A-Teams) and sector discussions. Delegates’ direction helps the Council establish priorities for the coming year and guides efforts with new programs undertaken to find and grow global markets.
The Council will be following all CDC, OSHA and event location guidelines for the in-person portion of the meeting. As of May 19, the guidelines of the hotel and convention center require each attendee to mask unless eating, have their temperatures taken and social distance and complete a health screening survey. The Council will update attendees as guidelines are adjusted prior to the meeting.
Those attending virtually will participate through Pathable, the platform USGC has used for past membership meetings. A formal training will be offered ahead of the meeting.
Attendees will be required to sign a code of conduct and waiver, which will be available after a final virtual town hall meeting on July 8, 2021.
To register, review the agenda and make hotel reservations, visit the Council website https://grains.org/event/desmoines/2/.
Record High Total Red Meat, Beef, and Pork in April
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.71 billion pounds in April, up 22 percent from the 3.86 billion pounds produced in April 2020.
Beef production, at 2.35 billion pounds, was 29 percent above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.85 million head, up 27 percent from April 2020. The average live weight was up 13 pounds from the previous year, at 1,366 pounds.
Veal production totaled 4.3 million pounds, 12 percent below April a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 27,400 head, down 18 percent from April 2020. The average live weight was up 16 pounds from last year, at 268 pounds.
Pork production totaled 2.34 billion pounds, up 15 percent from the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 10.8 million head, up 15 percent from April 2020. The average live weight was up 1 pound from the previous year, at 290 pounds.
Lamb and mutton production, at 13.6 million pounds, was up 22 percent from April 2020. Sheep slaughter totaled 222,800 head, 23 percent above last year. The average live weight was 122 pounds, down 1 pound from April a year ago.
Red Meat Production By State
(million lbs. - % April '20)
Nebraska ...........: 677.1 123
Iowa ..................: 750.7 121
Kansas ...............: 503.6 129
January to April 2021 commercial red meat production was 18.9 billion pounds, up 4 percent from 2020. Accumulated beef production was up 6 percent from last year, veal was down 16 percent, pork was up 2 percent from last year, and lamb and mutton production was up 6 percent.
April Milk Production in the United States up 3.3 Percent
Milk production in the United States during April totaled 19.3 billion pounds, up 3.3 percent from April 2020. Production per cow in the United States averaged 2,033 pounds for April, 40 pounds above April 2020. The number of milk cows on farms in the United States was 9.49 million head, 113,000 head more than April 2020, and 16,000 head more than March 2021.
Iowa: Milk production in Iowa during April 2021 totaled 463 million pounds, up 4% from the previous April according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Milk Production report. The average number of milk cows during April, at 227,000 head, was the same as last month but 8,000 more than April 2020. Monthly production per cow averaged 2,040 pounds, the same as last April.
May 2021 Dairy Market Report Now Available
Several positive signs have emerged in recent months that are pointing to a tightening milk supply-demand balance and improving milk prices. Year-over-year milk production growth moderated from 2.4 percent in January to 1.8 percent in March, and there are unmistakable signs that the national dairy cow herd is on the ebbing side of the current herd expansion cycle. U.S. dairy exports are particularly strong, with March exports reaching the second highest level ever as a percentage of monthly U.S. milk solids production. Meanwhile, domestic use of dairy products in the first quarter of 2021 rose 7 percent from a year earlier for both butter and American-type cheese. Still, despite the rosier outlook, immediate conditions remain challenging, with margins under the federal Dairy Margin Coverage program averaging almost $3.00/cwt below the maximum $9.50/cwt coverage level during the quarter, as rising feed costs combined with out-of-balance milk supplies kept returns over feed costs at depressed levels.
Read the full report here: https://www.nmpf.org/dairy-market-report-may-2021/.
Cost Share Programs Available to Help Farmers and Landowners Adopt Cover Crops
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Sarah Carlson, Strategic Initiatives Director of Practical Farmers of Iowa, joined the Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here tour today to discuss cost share programs farmers and landowners can use to start planting cover crops.
“2020 was a record year for engagement in the state’s conservation cost-share programs, yet we still have a lot of work to do to reach our soil health and water quality goals,” said Secretary Naig. “I encourage all farmers and landowners to look for opportunities to add cover crops and other conservation practices to their fields. These programs are a great way to help you get started.”
“We are seeing more written about cover crops, farmers talking more about cover crops, farmers coming to the cover crop cost share programs who have never tried them before and are getting started, which are all good signs,” said Carlson. “There are so many cost-share opportunities to help get started using cover crops and de-risk that transition, there’s no reason not to get started this fall.”
Cover crops, like rye and oats, prevent soil erosion and lock in nutrients especially during extreme weather events. Cover crops are proven to reduce nitrogen loads by 28-31 percent and phosphorous loads by 29 percent, which helps improve water quality. They also offer weed control for row crops and an additional forage source for cattle producers.
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Statewide Cost Share Program
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is currently offering cost share funding for in-field management practices, including planting cover crops, transitioning acres to no-till/strip-till soil management or applying a nitrification inhibitor.
Farmers who are planting cover crops for the first time are eligible for $25 per acre and experienced cover crop users can receive $15 per acre. Producers using no-till or strip-till for the first time are eligible for $10 per acre. First time users may also apply for $3 per acre for applying fall fertilizer using a nitrapyrin-based nitrification inhibitor. Cost share funding through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is limited to 160 acres per farmer or landowner. Farmers and landowners should contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District office to sign up now.
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – USDA RMA Crop Insurance Discount Program
Farmers and landowners who plant fall cover crops can apply for the state’s crop insurance discount program administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and USDA Risk Management Agency. Applicants may be eligible for a $5 per acre discount on their spring crop insurance premiums. To qualify, the cover crop acres cannot be enrolled in other state or federal cost share programs. Sign-up will begin in the fall at cleanwateriowa.org/cropinsurancediscount.
Practical Farmers of Iowa Cost Share
Farmers and landowners who plant fall cover crops and sell their corn direct to Cargill at Eddyville or their soybeans to the ADM Des Moines supply chain can apply for cost share through Practical Farmers of Iowa. Applicants new to cover crops can receive $40 per acre on up to 40 acres. Applicants who have previously used cover crops can receive $10 per acre on 160 acres or 10 percent of acres farmed, whichever is larger. To qualify, cover crop acres cannot be enrolled in any other private cost share programs (ex. Indigo Carbon, Nori), however, acres can be enrolled in other public programs.
To find out more information and sign up today visit practicalfarmers.org/programs/cover-crops/cover-crop-cost-share-programs/.
Wheat Tour 2021 Recap FINAL Day
The 2021 Wheat Quality Council’s Hard Winter Wheat Tour across Kansas wrapped up on May 20. During the three days of wheat scouting, tour participants traveled six routes from Manhattan to Colby to Wichita and back to Manhattan. This year's tour hosted 45 participants from 13 states in 15 vehicles while traveling across the state.
The three-day average yield for the fields that were calculated was 58.1 bushels per acre. While an estimated 7.3 million acres of wheat were planted in the fall, the Kansas wheat crop varies in condition based on planting date and amount of moisture received. What Mother Nature has in plan for the wheat crop still remains to be seen, but the tour captures a moment in time for the yield potential for fields across the state.
This year’s tour was held several weeks later in May than the tour traditionally takes place. In the traditional timeframe of late April/early May, many of the fields have not yet headed out. Scouts use an early season formula model to calculate the potential yield of the fields. This year, more than half of the fields had already headed, so attendees were able to use a late-season formula to calculate yields, based on number of wheat heads, number of spikelets and kernels per spikelet. These formulas are provided by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The formulas do not take into consideration variables such as weed pressure, disease and pests. Tour scouts saw evidence of wheat streak mosaic virus, stripe rust, Russian wheat aphid and other diseases. The most noted disease pressure was stripe rust, and many fields had been sprayed with a fungicide.
In early May, fields across the state, especially in southwest, south central and west central Kansas, were severely drought stressed. Rain moved across Kansas during the first two weeks of May, with some locations receiving up to 8 inches of rain. Tour participants saw wet fields along the routes, with water standing in many fields. This rain was welcomed relief and improved crop conditions significantly.
The official tour projection for total production of wheat to be harvested in Kansas is 365 million bushels. This number is the average of estimated predictions from tour participants who gathered information from 350 fields across the state. Based on May 1 conditions, NASS predicted the crop to be 331 million bushels, with a yield of 48 bushels per acre.
The estimate for the Nebraska wheat crop is 36.7 million bushels, up 8% from last year. The estimated yield average is 47 bushels per acre. The Colorado crop is estimated at 64.5 million bushels, based on 2.05 million acres planted and a 15.5% abandonment rate, leaving 1.73 million acres to be harvested. The estimate is for an average of 37.3 bushels per acre across the state. Oklahoma reported that the state’s production is estimated at 110.74 million bushels with 37.1 bushels per acre yield. Harvested acres are estimated at 2.985 million acres.
Ethanol Credited for Its GHG Reductions in USDA’s Climate Strategy
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the 90-Day Progress Report on Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry. The report is in response to President Biden’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad which directed USDA to collect stakeholder input on how to best use programs, funding and financing capacities to encourage the voluntary adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices.
The report focuses on USDA’s commitment to developing tools to assist farmers in quantifying benefits of climate smart practices and supporting research and data collection to support carbon measurement and verification capabilities. The progress report mentions that USDA could help support carbon credit prices but emphasizes the use of private markets to compensate farmers for practices.
The document acknowledges the role of agriculture in decarbonizing the transportation sector and stated, “The growth of the U.S. biofuels sector, driven in part by the Renewable Fuels Standard, has reduced GHGs and strengthened the rural economy. Ethanol produced from corn reduces GHG emissions relative to gasoline.” USDA called the report “the beginning of a process to position USDA to adapt to and mitigate climate change.”
Webinar Dives into Proposed Legislation and Impacts on Taxes
KCoe Isom, a food and agriculture consulting and accounting firm, will be holding a webinar for corn growers on News and Perspective on Tax Planning and Priorities on Wednesday, May 26 at 8:00 AM central. The webinar will address questions farmers have been asking around legislative tax proposals and potential impacts to businesses.
The advisors who will be leading the discussion from KCoe Isom are Brian Kuehl, principal; Jim Rein, principal; and Beth Swanson, senior associate.
Wayne Stoskopf, Public Policy Director for Risk Management and Tax at the National Corn Growers Association will be making introductory comments. “This is an issue that many of our members are asking questions about after the release of President Biden’s American Families Plan. This webinar hosted by KCoe Isom will dive into specifics for agriculture around the proposed legislation.”
There is no cost to attend the webinar. If you cannot attend the webinar at that time, you are still encouraged to register to receive a recording. You can register for the webinar here https://kcoeisom.zoom.us/webinar/register/4516213626623/WN_n0bTuV3_RSqUYKujdV4YeQ.
NCGA recently joined 40 agricultural organizations in a letter to Congressional leaders outlining key tax priorities including protecting current estate tax exemptions and preserving the step-up in basis for capital gains.
House Agriculture Republicans Introduce Broadband for Rural America Act
Today, House Agriculture Republicans introduced the Broadband For Rural America Act, one of several infrastructure proposals from House Republicans that bridge the digital divide for communities nationwide. The proposal from House Agriculture Republicans provides more than $7 billion in authorizations for USDA broadband connectivity programs.
Following the introduction of the bill, Republican Leader of the Agriculture Committee, Glenn 'GT' Thompson, issued the following statement:
“The one issue that unites rural members on both sides of the aisle is the need to address the digital divide. This critical infrastructure void has been exacerbated by the challenges faced by rural families and businesses during the pandemic.
“There are many broadband infrastructure plans, but the House GOP package puts a detailed plan on paper. This is also the only proposal that utilizes the expertise of USDA and focuses agencies across the government towards one common goal: connecting all Americans.
“Let’s put aside partisan differences, debate the merits of this legislation, and address this significant infrastructure need.”
The Broadband For Rural America Act:
Authorizes $3.7 billion per year for critical rural broadband programs, including the ReConnect Rural Broadband Program, the Middle Mile Broadband Program, and the Innovative Broadband Advancement Program
Targets limited resources so assistance is focused on the most rural and least-connected residents, which are often the most expensive to connect
Promotes borrower accountability and protects taxpayers with new tools to ensure promised services are delivered to rural communities
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