With the news of the Senate approval of the conference report for a five-year farm bill, after being passed by the House the previous week, the U.S. Grains Council is poised to unleash its marketing plans for the future.

“If the President signs the bill, this will finally be some truly great news to get us out of the uncertainty we have been living with for the past three-plus years,” said USGC President and CEO Tom Sleight. “It has been a rocky ride, but it feels really good to be nearing the final passage.”

The past several years have truly been a challenge for U.S. agriculture, with the unprecedented three-year struggle over the farm bill, the worst drought in decades – by some measures, the worst in a century – tight U.S. corn supplies and uncompetitive prices. However, the Council forged ahead with ambitious plans to recapture market share, despite funding uncertainty. Sales rebounded as the new crop reached the market and Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and other buyers returned to sourcing U.S. grains.

The USDA’s key export promotion programs – the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development program (FMD) – are among dozens of relatively non-controversial programs that had been disrupted by the long delay. Both MAP and FMD continue to enjoy broad bipartisan support in the House and Senate. They had been reauthorized in both versions of the farm bill, and were immune from challenge in the conference. Both, however, are “farm bill programs,” so the lapse in the farm bill meant that no new funds could be obligated. The Council wishes to thank the several members that made additional funds available to assist in maintaining core programs during the funding squeeze.

“I’m humbled, gratified and appreciative of the strong show of support from our U.S. checkoff states and members to help see the Council through the challenging times,” Sleight said. “Now we are aggressively moving forward with a strong and vibrant export market development program.”

The United States is the world’s leading agricultural exporter. In fact, agriculture is a U.S. trade champion, producing a record $141 billion in sales in 2013. MAP and FMD are the government’s leg of the proven public-private partnership that opens, defends and expands foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products. The United States enjoyed record harvests in 2013 and has product to move.

“We certainly have work to do,” Sleight said. “Thanks again to those who fought through the obstacles and got it done – and now, full speed ahead!”