In American politics, an agreement has been reached to temporarily extend the 2018 agricultural law for one year. This keeps the agricultural budget out of the ongoing political battle over next year's budget. There is a chance that the American government will soon be 'shut down' due to a lack of budget.
In a rare example of unity, party leaders from both the Senate and the House of Representatives have reached an agreement on this. Normally, US agricultural policy is updated every five years, more or less comparable to the common agricultural policy of each new European Commission.
The decision in American politics comes as a welcome development amid ongoing tensions between Republicans and Democrats, and between legislative and executive branches in Washington. There is no agreement in Washington yet on any adjustments to the financing of the new agricultural policy. There too, the financing of new policy is mainly a product of consultation and efforts with many agricultural lobby groups.
The extension of the current agricultural law, which would otherwise expire at the end of this year, provides stability to the agricultural sector and prevents uncertainty about essential agricultural programs. Experts point out that this extension not only reassures farmers and agricultural producers, but also allays fears of a possible government shutdown.
The decision was welcomed by most agricultural groups as a pragmatic approach in politically challenging times.