IA highlights importance of irrigation technologies to boost productivity to Congress

The Irrigation Association believes that efficient irrigation lies at the crossroads of innovation, workforce development, environmental conservation and productivity. The United States has been at the forefront of irrigation innovation and job creation for years. From the advent of the center pivot in 1940 to the implementation of sprinkler and drip irrigation to the use of the “internet of things” and cloud-based technologies, the irrigation industry is providing farmers more tools to help them be successful, while also conserving our precious natural resource — water. 

Unfortunately, U.S. farming and environmental policies have not kept pace with innovation. The future of farming and water management lies in technologies developed right here in the United States. For this reason, the IA believes the United States must develop policies that are jointly economically, socially and environmentally beneficial.

Unfortunately, U.S. farming and environmental policies have not kept pace with innovation.

In March, the IA joined together with the National Ground Water Association and the Water Quality Association to host the annual Water Resources Congressional Summit. Approximately 30 irrigation professionals from throughout the United States came to Washington, D.C., to carry the IA’s message of promoting efficient irrigation through sound policy. Advocacy efforts focused on three key areas:

• advancing America through irrigation technologies
• securing America’s water resources
• sustaining a professional workforce

Specifically, IA attendees discussed increasing the focus on productivity through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, enhancing U.S. investment in managed aquifer recharge and allowing the costs associated with obtaining and maintaining a professional certification as an eligible expense for a 529 plan. During their two days, participants met with senior U.S. Department of Agriculture officials, the EPA’s assistant administrator for water and more than 50 congressional offices.

USDA promotes innovation agenda

The USDA recently released its agriculture innovation agenda, promoting agriculture innovation as a solution for farmers, consumers and the environment. This agenda reflects a department-wide effort to align the USDA’s resources, programs and research to provide farmers with the tools they need and to position American agriculture as a global leader in the effort to meet the food, fiber, fuel, feed and climate demands of the future. The agenda seeks to accomplish this through the following actions:

• Create a comprehensive U.S. agriculture innovation strategy to align public and private research efforts.
• Integrate the latest innovative conservation technologies and practices into USDA programs. Also, included in this section is the statement that the “USDA can assist farmers in accessing and adopting new technologies and practices to help producers meet productivity and environmental goals.” This statement aligns with the IA’s goals of policies driven by productivity, rather than just conservation. 
• Improve USDA data collection and reporting.

Some of the benchmarks for success include

• food loss and waste: Advance the USDA’s work toward the United States’ goal to reduce food
  loss and waste by 50% in the United States by the year 2030.
• carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas: Enhance carbon sequestration through soil health and forestry, leverage the agricultural sector’s renewable energy benefits for the economy and capitalize on innovative technologies and practices to achieve net reduction of the agricultural sector’s current carbon footprint by 2050 without regulatory overreach.
• water quality: Reduce nutrient loss by 30% nationally by 2050.
• renewable energy: Increase the production of renewable energy feedstocks and set a goal to increase biofuel production efficiency and competitiveness to achieve market-driven blend rates of 15% of transportation fuels in 2030 and 30% of transportation fuels by 2050.
• productivity: Increase ag productivity by 40% while cutting the environmental footprint of ag production in half. 

The IA plans to continue working with Secretary Perdue’s office and the rest of the USDA, advocating for the benefits of efficient irrigation, as the USDA implements this agenda.

Farm bill programs a target for cuts 

In March, leaders of the House Committee on Agriculture requested that House budget writers avoid making cuts to farm bill programs at a time when producers and consumers need more federal support to deal with the coronavirus and trade headwinds. In a bipartisan statement, Chairman Colin Peterson, D-Minnesota, and Ranking Member Conaway, R-Texas, both indicated that cuts to the farm bill programs at this time would be detrimental to the agricultural economy. The statements are in reaction to President Trump’s proposed budget, which called for steep cuts to food stamps, crop insurance, farm subsidies and conservation programs.

The Irrigation Association continues to support the farm bill programs that grow the ag economy and support the implementation of technology in agricultural production.  

John Farner is the government and public affairs director for the Irrigation Association and federal affairs director for the National Ground Water Association.