Readying For Upcoming Farm Bill Discussion

At a recent panel discussion hosted by the Farm Foundation Chuck Conner, President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, shares sentiments that perhaps many who recall the two-year plus struggle to pass the last Farm Bill might also agree with ....

Connor: "I don't know of anyone who is jumping at the chance to get back in to this debate. The last one took two and half years to complete and I know that my colleagues on the Hill and Hill staff are still weary from the last process and some of them are still wounded from the last process. But prudence says we should start early in order to attempt to deliver a Farm Bill on time. And I know for many producers with tight credit situations with their bankers a late Farm Bill — in some cases — is almost as bad as no Farm Bill at all. Perhaps the greatest thing, the highest objective, we could have for in the next Farm Bill for these producers is simply to get it done and done on time."

Connors also shared the differences between the last Farm Bill and the next one. In this next Farm Bill's discussion, both crops and livestock are struggling with low prices; the last several Farm Bills have been written in relatively strong economic times so the assumptions and resources from the past he says may not be appropriate today. He also stressed that the agricultural community as a whole is not interested in entering into the Farm Bill debate without including the nutrition aspects of the bill.