Why the stakes have never been higher and what’s being done to push for a strengthened farm bill.
A Minnesota corn grower recently addressed the House Agriculture Committee today, emphasizing the necessity of a reauthorized and strengthened farm bill for farmers both in her state and nationwide. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and state corn-affiliated associations are advocating for an enhanced farm bill this year according to a NCGA news release.
“Unless conditions change, I believe we’re heading into a perfect storm, a storm that I don’t think will be fully appreciated until early next year when farmers try to get loans but are unable to do so because they cannot demonstrate the ability to cash flow,” Minnesota Corn Growers president Dana Allen-Tully was quoted in the release.
She stressed that while farmers play a vital role in feeding and fueling the economy, they require a robust farm bill to provide support during tough times.
“We have to have policies in place that reflect the realities of farming today,” Allen-Tully stated. “The stakes of farming are so incredibly high – higher than I ever remember them to be. We are putting everything we have on the line every single year for very thin and oftentimes negative margins.”
Both Allen-Tully and National Corn Growers Association president Harold Wolle have recently written op-eds emphasizing the priorities of corn growers and urging action on the farm bill.
“The farm bill is so important to growers on every front,” Wolle wrote in a recent op-ed. “USDA programs are particularly crucial to open and cultivate foreign markets and for a safety net for farmers during hard economic times.”
Last week, NCGA mobilized more than 200 corn growers to Capitol Hill to advocate for the Farm Bill. While the House Agriculture Committee has marked up its version of the legislation, the Senate committee and both chambers must collaborate to pass the bill into law.
