Conference Committee reports ag appropriations bill

The House-Senate Conference Committee released a minibus appropriations bill on Monday. The $182 billion package would fund the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development for FY 2012 plus contains a continuing resolution to keep the rest of the government going through December 16th. The current funding runs out on Friday. The bill includes $136.6 billion in funding for agriculture, $117 billion in mandatory funding and $19.8 billion for discretionary funding, a drop from $19.9 billion in 2011. The plan includes $2.3 billion in disaster aid, a compromise between the House and Senate versions. The plan fully funds the Market Access and Foreign Market Development Programs at $200 million and $34.5 million, respectively and allocates $844 million for Natural Resource Conservation Service programs. <more> Nov. 15, 2011 Brownfield Ag News