Facing looming end-of-the-year deadlines, House and Senate conferees are reported to have made significant progress in hammering out a deal on a new farm bill. As of Thursday afternoon, conferees are reported to be awaiting Congressional Budget Office scoring on the commodity title. Significant differences remain, however, on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/food stamps), where the impasse must be resolved at a senior leadership level. While no one is yet predicting an outcome, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Thursday afternoon that the House could vote on a conference report as early as next week, although a short extension also remains a possibility.

The Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development Program (FMD) — USDA’s two key export promotion programs — are not an issue, since both the House and Senate have already voted to reauthorize them at full funding levels. They are among the dozens of other non-controversial farm bill programs that, unfortunately, remain trapped in the no-man’s land while the remaining disagreements are resolved.

Continued delay in passing a new farm bill is severely constraining the work of the U.S. Grains Council and other cooperator groups that utilize MAP and FMD. The unique public-private partnership centered on MAP and FMD has contributed greatly to making the United States the world’s leading exporter of agricultural products. Continuing inaction on the farm bill translates into lost sales and market share. Delay inflicts real harm.