U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) joined other members of the Senate Agriculture Committee in advancing legislation to reauthorize the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA). The committee amended and unanimously approved the measure, HR.4550, making it available for full Senate consideration. The House of Representatives passed the bill in July.
Hyde-Smith, who serves on the committee, highlighted the importance of updating the act for Mississippi farmers. “Our farmers, even with all the challenges they face today, need an updated U.S. Grain Standards Act on the books to help them market their harvests. The Agriculture Committee has worked on a bipartisan basis to get this done,” Hyde-Smith said. “I am particularly pleased with provisions that should reduce red tape so the USDA can be more flexible in adopting new inspection technologies and processes.”
The USGSA allows the federal government to set marketing standards for grains and oilseeds and provides procedures for their inspection and weighing. These inspections are required for exported grains and oilseeds to ensure they meet U.S. quality standards.
During a July hearing, Hyde-Smith discussed how the committee’s bill prioritizes new grain grading technology and research. The bill also gives the Secretary of Agriculture more flexibility in deciding whether the Federal Grain Inspection Service or another agency should handle inspections at export ports.
At the same meeting, the committee approved other measures, including the Fix Our Forests Act (S.1462) and a package of lands bills that featured Hyde-Smith’s proposal related to Okhissa Lake and rural economic development in Franklin County.
