Farm Bill Now Pt 2
From the Ag Information Network, this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. Another Farm Bill extension is less than ideal for an industry that’s treading water right now.
Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, says U.S. agriculture needs Congress to stop kicking this tired old can down the road …
LAREW … “We've already done two extensions to this farm bill. We already urged Congress to take action before we got into an election year. We got into an election year, and we said it would be next to impossible to get a farm bill done. Well, unfortunately, we were right.”
The time has come, Larew says to stop making excuses …
LAREW … “So now we're in an environment where they're talking about cuts and savings. This is a terrible environment to be doing in a farm bill, but unfortunately, the conditions out there, particularly the farm economy, demand action right now.”
As for the approach to crafting a new Farm Bill, Larew says …
LAREW … “That can take a couple of different views, right? We have a budget reconciliation process going on right now, but even that is struggling because of some of the cuts they want to invoke in that.”
So, Larew says be cautious, but we’ve got to get something done …
LAREW … “I think the approach that they're taking could put the Farm Bill coalition at risk. We can all appreciate that there are too few members of Congress from farm country to pass a farm bill that isn't comprehensive. You simply can't get enough votes to get that done. A farm bill is way overdue. Farm country is screaming for certainty.”
NFU President Rob Larew.
