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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed his goals for the 2023 farm bill. Thune noted that he is fortunate to be a longtime member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which gives him an important platform from which to address the needs of South Dakota agriculture producers.

Thune’s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):

“Mr. President, 2023 will be a big year on the agriculture front, as we work to draft the next farm bill.

 

“Farm bills are always a major priority for me, given the essential place agriculture holds in South Dakota.

 

“And I’ve been gearing up for the 2023 farm bill since last year, when I began holding a series of roundtables with agriculture producers to hear firsthand what farmers’ and ranchers’ priorities are right now and what they need from the 2023 bill.

 

“I introduced multiple bills last Congress that I hope to get included in this year’s legislation, including bills to strengthen and improve the Conservation Reserve Program and address the needs of South Dakota livestock producers – and of producers around the country.

 

“Livestock production has long been an integral part of South Dakota’s agriculture heritage, including cattle ranching in our West River communities.

 

“And one of my priorities for this year’s farm bill is addressing some of the challenges facing South Dakota livestock producers in getting their products to Americans’ tables. 

 

“The last few years have revealed vulnerabilities in our food supply chain that had an outsize impact on livestock producers.

 

“Early in the pandemic, some meat processing plants were temporarily closed, and these closures led to bottlenecks in processing and delays to process livestock.

 

“The result was supply shortages and empty cases at the grocery store – shortages that weren’t caused by a shortage of livestock but by a lack of processing capacity to get meat ready for sale.

 

“And between processing bottlenecks and meatpacker concentration, it’s become clear that livestock producers need more processing options.

 

“And one way we can reduce producers’ dependence on the big packers is to expand smaller meatpackers’ processing capacity.

 

“That’s why I’m currently working to reintroduce my Strengthening Local Processing Act.

 

“My bill would help smaller processors invest in the infrastructure necessary to expand their capacity, as well as direct federal dollars to education and training programs that will bolster the industry’s workforce and build the next generation of meat processors and butchers.

 

“My bill would also allow more state-inspected meat products to be sold across state lines, which would open up new markets for small meat processors and the farmers and ranchers who supply them.

 

“Mr. President, if there’s one thing that can be said for sure about South Dakotans, it’s that we take our beef seriously.

 

“With almost 14,000 beef operations and 3.8 million head of cattle in our state, it’s safe to say cattle production is alive and well in South Dakota, and helping to fill dinner plates all across America.

 

“And something I consistently hear from folks around the state is that we need to reform our beef labeling system.

 

“South Dakotans, like many Americans, simply want to know where their food – and their beef in particular – is coming from.

 

“And that can be pretty hard to do under our current system.

 

“Under our current system, beef that is neither born nor raised in the United States but is simply finished here can be labeled ‘Product of the USA’ – even if the only American thing about the beef is the plastic it’s wrapped in – if that.

 

“This is unfair to American cattle producers and misleading to consumers.

 

“Congress has repeatedly tried to address this issue in the past.

 

“The 2002 and 2008 farm bills included mandatory country of origin labeling for beef, but the World Trade Organization ruled against the United States and Congress ultimately repealed this requirement, which I opposed. 

 

“But that doesn’t mean we should give up on transparency in labeling.

 

“That’s why this week I reintroduced my bipartisan American Beef Labeling Act to require the U.S. Trade Representative to develop a World Trade Organization-compliant means of reinstating mandatory country of origin labeling for beef.

 

“When you see a label on your beef, you should be able to trust that it means what it says.

 

“And I plan to work to get my American Beef Labeling Act included in the 2023 farm bill so that consumers can be confident that any beef labeled ‘Product of the USA’ really came from American cattle producers.

 

“Mr. President, whether it’s a farm bill year or not, South Dakota farmers and ranchers are always at the top of my mind here in the Senate.

 

“As a longtime member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I’m fortunate to have a platform that allows me to address the needs of South Dakota ag producers.

 

“And I am looking forward to working with my colleagues on the Ag Committee and in the Senate as a whole to deliver a farm bill that addresses the challenges facing South Dakota farmers and ranchers, and farmers and ranchers around the country.

 

“Agriculture is a tough industry, Mr. President.

 

“It’s backbreaking work in all weathers, living with the constant risk that a storm or a drought or an early freeze can wipe out herds or crops – sometimes in an instant.

 

“Then add market fluctuations, processing and transportation challenges, and our current inflation crisis … it’s not an easy life.

 

“But despite its many challenges, it is a proud tradition, Mr. President.

 

“And through it all, our nation’s farmers and ranchers persevere.

 

“I am proud to represent South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers here in the U.S. Senate.

 

“And I will do everything I can to ensure that this year’s farm bill meets their needs and does everything it can to make their life a little easier, so that they can continue to feed our nation, and the world.

 

“Mr. President, I yield the floor.”