Pennsylvania Farm Bureau supports farm bill package

The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) recently released a statement in support of the state Senate passing a farm bill package.

“Three major challenges facing Pennsylvania farmers are prohibitive regulations, financial obstacles that make it difficult to earn a living and access to land for young farmers trying to break into the business,” PFB President Rick Ebert said. “The enactment of these bills should provide some help in tackling those problems.”

The package includes six bills.

The first bill provides a state income tax credit of 5 percent for the sale price of farm assets sold or 10 percent of the total rental income received from assets rented to beginning farmers.

The second bill would create the Pennsylvania Dairy Future Commission.

The third bill would allow milk haulers to transport the product to processing facilities during weather-related commercial travel bans.

The fourth bill amends the Agricultural Area Security Law to create flexibility for landowners who own a preserved farm.

The fifth bill amends the state farmland preservation program so that agritourism enterprises may be performed on preserved farms.

The sixth bill amends the vehicle code, expanding the maximum width allowance for farm machinery to 18 feet.

Farmers hope that the package will be approved quickly in the House, Ebert said.