Latest news with #AgricultureCommittee
RTÉ News
15-07-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
European Commission to propose merging CAP funding with other funds
The European Commission is set to propose merging Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funding with other funds, in a radical overhaul of how farmers receive financial supports from the European Union budget. Draft documents of the proposals, seen by RTÉ News, indicate that from the start of the next EU budgetary cycle in 2028, the commission plans to pool dedicated agricultural and rural financial supports into a single National and Regional Partnerships fund. The proposal would mean CAP would no longer be a stand-alone fund within the EU budget but would instead be merged with EU cohesion, migration, and infrastructure funding. This could result in certain funding for agriculture within the EU budget no longer being ringfenced and see financial supports funnelled away from farming and into other areas. In the draft, the commission argues the change would allow for "stronger synergies between policies", and create a more flexible, crisis-responsive budget that better reflects the EU's shared priorities. The commission will outline its proposals to MEPs later today for the next EU budget - known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) - which comes into effect in 2028. Irish farmers receive around €2 billion annually in CAP payments to help support the rural economy and food production. This funding is divided into two pillars - the first comprising direct payments to farmers, with the second focusing on rural development. However, the draft commission document proposes to guarantee "coherence by integrating the CAP interventions from the current two-funds structure under one single umbrella". The proposal suggests member states would have more power to reallocate funding "based on their specific needs rather than uniform allocations". Some Irish MEPs who have seen the leaked commission proposals say they risk CAP funding to farmers being considerably reduced, with some estimates suggesting they could see a drop of up to 30%. Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh, who is a member of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee, said they "highlight a real risk of the already insufficient CAP budget being further decreased. "While the relevance of some pillar-two tools - from farm advisory services to LEADER programmes - is maintained in the proposal, the funding is uncertain. "Without guaranteed investment, our rural communities and farmers will suffer. For example, the ringfenced funding for LEADER programmes has been abolished - I will be fighting within the Agriculture Committee to reverse this decision," she added. The commission's plans also recommend CAP funding "should be focused on active farmers", meaning supports would be "targeted towards farmers who exercise agriculture as a principal activity". In addition, the proposals would increase supports for younger farmers significantly, with funding for the costs of establishing a new farm potentially rising from €100,000 to €300,000. Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly said he is "alarmed and concerned" by the reported proposals "to scrap a fund with millions of euros of Pillar 2 rural development grants. "These grants provide a lifeline to many parts of the midlands, west, north west and north east," he said. He added that "the Commissioner is proceeding against the advice of all farmers and community groups with a single fund to be merged with cohesion funds paid to member states. "The scale of cuts in the budget being proposed are absolutely disastrous for Irish farmers." 'Big battle ahead' - IFA The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has described the draft proposals as "very concerning". IFA President Francie Gorman said: "it is clear that the EU Commission is downgrading the importance of the CAP and food production to allow for greater spending elsewhere. "The CAP is being turned into an environmental and social policy. Support for farmers who are producing the most food is being consistently reduced. "At a time when Ireland is a net contributor to the overall EU budget, this level of investment in every parish takes on even more significance," he said. "CAP has been the cornerstone of the multi-billion export sector that underpins thousands of jobs in regions far from the urban centres. "There is a big battle ahead to retrieve a coherent policy from what the EU Commission is proposing," he added. 'Beginning of a protracted process' Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said that the commission's budget proposals are "just the beginning of a protracted process". The minster said: "Member States will, through the Council of Ministers, begin the process of agreeing a general approach to the commission's proposals, before engaging in line-by-line negotiations with the EU Parliament and the EU Commission. "This will take some time, and I fully expect the progression of these proposals to be a significant feature of Ireland's Presidency of the EU Council in the second half of next year. "My priority throughout will be to ensure that the legislation finally agreed reflects Ireland's concerns, and provides certainty and stability for farmers," the minister added. Once the commission sets out its proposed EU budget, this will start a process of debate and negotiation that will ultimately lead to a final vote on the next budget for the bloc, that would begin in 2028. Ireland is expected to play an important role in this process, especially regarding CAP funding, given that we will hold the rolling six-month EU presidency for the second half of 2026.
Miami Herald
22-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Senate official rejects food aid cuts proposed by Republicans in megabill
A top Senate official on Friday night rejected a bid by Republicans to slash federal food aid payments as part of their sweeping legislation carrying President Donald Trump's domestic agenda, sending party leaders scrambling to find another way to help offset the massive cost of the bill. The measure passed by the House last month and on track to be considered in the Senate next week would cover part of the cost of extending and expanding large tax cuts by cutting social safety net programs including Medicaid and nutrition programs, including SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. Republicans are moving the bill through Congress using special rules that shield it from a filibuster, depriving Democrats of the ability to block it. But to qualify for that protection, the legislation must comply with a rigorous set of budgetary restrictions meant to ensure that it will not add to the deficit. And the Senate parliamentarian, an official appointed by the chamber's leaders to enforce its rules and precedents, must evaluate such measures to ensure that every provision meets those requirements. Elizabeth MacDonough, the parliamentarian, ruled that the SNAP measure, which would push some of the costs of nutrition assistance onto the states, did not. That sent Republicans back to the drawing board to find another strategy for covering tens of billions of dollars of the bill's cost. She also said Republicans could not include a provision that would bar immigrants who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents from receiving SNAP benefits, according to Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee. The House-passed bill would require all states to pay at least 5% of SNAP benefit costs, and more if they reported a high rate of errors in underpaying or overpaying recipients. That provision was estimated to save roughly $128 billion. Senate Republicans were unsettled by that plan, arguing it would tee up insurmountable budget shortfalls for their states. They softened it, advancing a lower share for states to shoulder than that set forward by the House proposal. On Saturday, Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., the chair of the Agriculture Committee, said GOP senators would continue to try to find a way to cut food assistance that complied with Senate rules. 'To rein in federal spending and protect taxpayer dollars, the committee is pursuing meaningful reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to improve efficiency, accountability and integrity,' Boozman said in a statement. He said he was looking at options 'to ensure SNAP serves those who truly need it while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.' Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, cheered the parliamentarian's decision, saying she had 'made clear that Senate Republicans cannot use their partisan budget to shift major nutrition assistance costs to the states that would have inevitably led to major cuts.' Several fiscal hawks in the House and Senate have complained that the legislation does not do enough to cut federal spending. With the parliamentarian's ruling, Republicans will have to find another way to slash a huge sum of money that their members also feel comfortable voting for. The ruling was just one piece of a broader review the parliamentarian is conducting of the Republican-written legislation. She was expected to work through the weekend evaluating the measure and instructing Republicans to strip out any provision she deems out of order. Should they fail to do so, Democrats could challenge the bill on the floor, forcing Republicans to muster 60 votes to advance it, which would effectively kill it since Democrats are solidly opposed. The parliamentarian also will determine whether Republicans can keep a provision that would block states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade, and whether they can use a budget trick that would make extending the 2017 tax cuts appear to be free. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Copyright 2025
CBC
06-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Rural councillors deny support for battery facility, as company seeks 'clear political signal'
Rural councillors rejected a second attempt by Gatineau-based company Evolugen to win support for a large battery facility in rural west Ottawa, after 68 people weighed in over the course of a nearly 10-hour meeting Thursday. Members of the city's agriculture and rural affairs committee voted unanimously to deny the company official backing for the project, though city council will have the final say next week. The company has already won a contract to build the facility from the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), a Crown corporation responsible for managing Ontario's energy market. Now, it needs a statement of support from Ottawa councillors. West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly, whose ward would be home to the new facility, said he heard a clear message from residents. "I feel like it's overwhelmingly against the project," he said in an interview. "I think even more specifically — against the project proposed in the location where it has been proposed." That location is an approximately 4.5-hectare plot of rural land off Marchurst Road — roughly the area of eight Canadian football fields — located about 30 kilometres west of downtown Ottawa. Evolugen, a Gatineau-based renewable energy company owned by Brookfield Renewable, is seeking to build a battery energy storage system (BESS) at the site. BESS facilities are large batteries housed in containers that store renewable energy and feed it back into the grid at off-peak hours. The process to receive city council support for projects has proven difficult, though not impossible, with an Evolugen BESS in Coun. David Brown's ward garnering the unanimous backing in late 2023. The technology is a key part of the Ford government's plan to solve a looming energy supply crunch, as demand in the province is expected to increase by 75 per cent by 2050. But for many residents, the location of this particular battery trumped any broader provincial picture. 'Devil's bargain' Across the dozens of people who spoke at the meeting, views were mixed. Speakers representing business interests in the Kanata North tech park said companies there have "extreme needs" for power, and a local family-run construction company said building the facility would create good jobs. Members of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, which is partnered with Evolugen on the project, called on the city to support Indigenous-led investment. But most speakers were vehemently opposed. A petition against the project garnered more than 1,400 hand-written signatures. Loss of farmland and the risk of fire or well water contamination were the most common concerns. Courtney Argue, one of a large contingent donning matching t-shirts that read "Stop Marchurst BESS," lives about 400 metres from the proposed site. "We are David vs. Goliath here. We have been stripped of our voices to fight this," Argue said, breaking into tears. "We need you [councillors] to be loud and courageous to reject this [motion]. Our lives and our lands are depending on it." Another speaker, Brian Martin, said he and other residents aren't afraid of the technology but are opposed to building on what he considers to be an ecologically sensitive location. "This is the devil's bargain," he said. "They get all the gold, we get all the risks." Company seeks 'clear political signal' Evolugen is taking a second crack at winning support in the area. The company previously tried to sell residents on a similar project that would have been built south of Fitzroy Harbor, about 13 kilometres away from the current site. That project also faced intense community backlash, and the company later said its attempt at garnering support had not gone well. The new site, according to the company, has fewer trees and does not encroach on wetlands. Crucially, it sits on a connection to the grid. And this time around, Evolugen said it has redoubled efforts to win over locals. "We've knocked on, I would say, almost every single door within two kilometres of the site," said Geoff Wright, senior vice-president of the company. "We've had a number of conversations with people at their door. We've sat at peoples' kitchen tables." Wright is now asking the city to endorse the project and send a "clear political signal" of interest. Pressure from province The renewed bid for support comes shortly after Ontario Energy Minister Stephen Lecce sent a letter to Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe warning that slowing down BESS projects endangers growth. The letter asked the city to "promptly review and approve" the projects, specifically singling out the South March BESS. On May 25, the mayor's office received a letter from Evolugen seeking support, just days before a walk-on motion to council waived procedure and drastically accelerated the approval process. Kelly pressed Wright on that timeline in a tense exchange during the meeting. "Cutting that process short left my community in a difficult spot to prepare for today," he said in an interview. "The message to my residents — so far in this process — is that provincial policies and the whims of provincial ministers and the IESO are more important than my residents' voices." The committee unanimously approved a motion by Kelly asking city staff to request that Evolugen pays at least $250,000 per year into a community development fund for at least 20 years, should the project go ahead. The issue goes to city council on June 11.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Upstate Democrats oppose cow limit for dairy farms
(WIVT/WBGH) – Some Upstate Democrats in the New York State Assembly are pushing back on a proposal that would limit the size of dairy farms. Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, who is chair of the Agriculture Committee, and three of her Democratic colleagues issued a news release this week in opposition to a proposal by downstate Democrats to end the authorization of dairy farms with more than 700 milking cows. Lupardo says she was disappointed that the bill would be crafted without consulting anyone in the dairy industry. She also says dairy farmers are some of the best stewards of the land that she knows. Lupardo added that she doesn't foresee the bill going anywhere. Eucharistic Procession makes way through Binghamton Celebrate Pride Month with an evening of laughter at Schorr Family Firehouse Stage Roosevelt reflects on the legacy of Principal Dave Chilson Mercy House prepares for $2.1 million expansion Upstate Democrats oppose cow limit for dairy farms Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
He Built an Airstrip on Protected Land. Now He's in Line to Lead the Forest Service.
Michael Boren, founder of a billion-dollar tech company, Idaho ranch owner and Trump donor, has clashed with the U.S. Forest Service for years. He was accused of flying a helicopter dangerously close to a crew building a Forest Service trail, prompting officials to seek a restraining order. He got a caution from the Forest Service, and criticism from his neighbors, when he built a private airstrip on his Hell Roaring Ranch in a national recreation area. And in the fall, the Forest Service sent a cease-and-desist letter accusing a company that Mr. Boren controlled of building an unauthorized cabin on National Forest land. Now, Mr. Boren is Mr. Trump's nominee to oversee the very agency he has tussled with repeatedly. On Tuesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee is scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing on Mr. Boren's nomination to be the under secretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment, a role that would put him in charge of the Forest Service. If confirmed, he would manage an agency that oversees almost 200 million acres of public lands across the United States, including maintaining trails, coordinating wildfire response and overseeing the sale of timber and other resources. He would also oversee the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which helps farmers and ranchers conserve natural resources on their own land. Mr. Boren would be leading the Forest Service at a tumultuous time. In April, the secretary of agriculture, Brooke Rollins, issued an order removing environmental protections from almost 60 percent of national forests, or more than 112 million acres, mostly in the West. That came after Mr. Trump issued an executive order to increase logging on those lands by 25 percent. The Forest Service has also fired thousands of workers as part of Mr. Trump's drive to shrink the federal government. Hangar Land before Boren purchase. Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip Hell Roaring Ranch 2014 2016 2024 IDAHO 1,000 feet Hangar Land before Boren purchase Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip 2014 2016 2024 1,000 feet Hangar Land before Boren purchase Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip 2014 2016 2024 1,000 feet Hangar Land before Boren purchase Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip 2014 2016 2024 1,000 feet Hangar Land before Boren purchase Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip 2014 2016 2024 1,000 ft. Source: Airbus DS via Google By Mira Rojanasakul/The New York Times Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
