'Primary Threat To Our National Farm Security': Mark Messmer Warns Of Cyber Attacks On Farms

Forbes Breaking News

5 months ago

During a House Agriculture Committee hearing, Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN) spoke about cybersecurity threats to farms.

Transcript

00:00Now I recognize the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Mesmer, for five minutes.

00:04Thank you, Chairman, and for all the witnesses today.

00:07The Hoosier farmers are increasingly productive between 2020 and 2023.

00:12Net farm income grew by more than 60%, even though active farm acres declined.

00:18While much of this productivity is due to expertise of growing,

00:21some of it is of the efficiency, some can be attributed to new farm tech.

00:26My district is at the forefront of the next generation of crop protection chemistries,

00:31but before our ag innovators can bring a product to market,

00:34they must grapple with the threat of IP theft.

00:37Mr. Abbott, can you speak to how IP theft impacts the decisions you make at Adjuvants Unlimited?

00:45We take that very seriously, right?

00:47We want to say, and the proprietary nature of our business here is,

00:52because a lot of the adjuvants are not patent-protected, as crop protection is.

00:56So we need to make sure that we keep that confidential and secure.

01:03Okay, thank you.

01:04The USDA identified cybersecurity as a primary theft to our national farm security.

01:11Mr. Abbott, how can Congress partner with businesses like Adjuvants Unlimited

01:15to bolster IP protections through cybersecurity enhancements?

01:18I would say wherever you can fund it, I would support that.

01:23Okay, thank you.

01:25Mr. Cameron, I appreciate your comments about the pragmatism of the American farmer.

01:29The producers who have survived the last several years of rager-thin margins

01:33are among the most efficient, innovative, and hardest-working individuals out there.

01:37They are not wasting expensive chemicals on irresponsible application.

01:40Mr. Cameron, for the purpose of shedding light on a part of farming that is often misunderstood,

01:48can you quantify how much pesticide is applied on an acre of your conventional crops?

01:54Can I quantify the amount of pesticide used?

01:57Yeah.

01:57You know, we grow a very diverse number of crops on our operation.

02:03And, you know, I think years ago we used to spray on a much more frequent basis,

02:09maybe a calendar basis.

02:11We use integrated pest management on all of our crops.

02:14We scout.

02:16We have companies that actually come, do pest control work on our farm, check our field.

02:22But we also check behind them.

02:23I always say the best footprints, you know, are your own to be on your farm.

02:27We need to be out in the field looking at our own fields.

02:30But we, as far as quantifying, you know, we grow, you know,

02:35we grow over 2,000 acres of processing tomatoes.

02:38We may put one product on, sulfur, very common for disease and insect protection.

02:47And then we may later in the season put one spray on for worms to keep them from getting into the tomatoes.

02:56But, you know, I look back on how we used to farm.

02:59We used to spend more money.

03:02We try to, our products cost more, but they're more specific and they're more effective.

03:09The National Corn Growers Association compares the amount of glyphosate applied to an acre farmland

03:14to that of a large cup of coffee being spread evenly around a football field.

03:18But in the real world, the absence of this coffee cup's worth of protectant would lead to large crop losses

03:25and eradicate the use of soil health practices like no-till.

03:30So they're very important.

03:31FIFRA keeps our producers, consumers, and environment safe, but the process is incredibly slow and needs improvement.

03:40Mr. Abbott, you mentioned that a half a billion dollars in CPDA products are currently tied up in EPA reviews.

03:47How challenging is it for a small biotech innovator to wait out these EPA delays?

03:54Very costly.

03:55I don't know the exact dollar amount, but I do know the longer they wait every day is lost revenue.

04:02So, and not only for the small startup companies, but also for the farmer as well,

04:08because it's back to needing additional tools out there to be successful.

04:14In holding up pesticide reviews, the Biden administration forced small businesses to shoulder a heavy expense.

04:20I'm encouraged by the steps the current administration is taking to right these wrongs.

04:23I look forward to working with them to ensure affordable access to critical inputs for Hoosier farmers.

04:29With that, I thank you all for sharing today, and Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

'Primary Threat To Our National Farm Security': Mark Messmer Warns Of Cyber Attacks On Farms

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