Rep. Crawford Works on Solutions to Lower Farm Input Costs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)

Rep. Crawford Works on Solutions to Lower Farm Input Costs

6/16/2022

Washington — Yesterday, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) joined several of his colleagues in introducing H.R. 8069, the Reducing Farm Input Costs and Barriers to Domestic Production Act. The bill would reverse regulatory barriers to domestic agriculture production as well as increase access to chemicals needed to produce fertilizer.

“Farmers already know it’s in their best interest to keep their land healthy and sustainable for years to come. They don’t need the government telling them how to farm,” said Rep. Crawford. “We must also address higher input costs such as fertilizer and especially fuel, which are critical in not just farming and harvesting, but in getting goods to market.”

This week, Rep. Crawford and colleagues also sent a letter to President Biden addressing the many concerns they have regarding energy and fertilizer costs for farmers as well as the barriers the administration has created for agriculture producers with regulations that further increase farmers’ costs.

In the letter, the lawmakers called on Biden to:

• Address farm input costs, including energy and fertilizer costs, that have been exacerbated by inflation.
• Stop proposed WOTUS changes that create uncertainty for farmers, ranchers, and landowners.
• Refocus the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on sound science, instead of negatively impacting the ability of producers to access crop protection tools.
• End onerous climate rules that particularly hurt small farmers who lack the time and resources to comply.

“It is vital to our national security that we be a nation that can clothe and feed ourselves. If we continue down this administration’s path, we will regulate ourselves further and further into global dependency for our most basic needs,” Crawford concluded.