New legislation aims to improve risk management in agriculture and supporters say it goes beyond the farm.
Senator John Hoeven, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, this week introduced the Federal Agriculture Risk Management Enhancement and Resilience (FARMER) Act. Hoeven says the legislation will strengthen crop insurance and make higher levels of coverage more affordable for producers across the country.
Credit: U.S. Senate Photographic Studio – Joy Holder
“It does it in two ways. One, by enhancing and providing more support to buy a higher level of coverage and it actually provides that higher level, with coverage on a more affordable basis, and not only at the enterprise level. So not only at the farm level, but also at the supplemental coverage option level, which is incredibly important that you have,” Hoven said at a news conference announcing the FARMER Act. “And in addition to providing that on a more affordable basis, it also directs that USDA evaluate and determine how they can make crop insurance more affordable and work better when you have large counties in your state.”
Hoeven says the FARMER Act is better for taxpayers, too. “We talked about a farm bill being for farmers and ranchers, but a good farm bill is for every single American. Think about it. Our farmers and ranchers produce the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world. And every American benefits from that every single day. And remember it’s food, fuel, and fiber,” Hoeven said. “But just from the food standpoint, every single day, every single American benefits from the highest quality and lowest cost food supply brought to us by our farmers and ranchers. Americans spend less of their budget than any other developed country on their food, and they have better food and a better choice. Right. It’s national security. We don’t have to worry about food security, right?”
Hoeven’s legislation is supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, American Sugarbeet Growers Association, Crop Insurance Professionals Association, Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau, Midwest Council on Agriculture, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Corn Growers Association, National Sunflower Association, Southwest Council of Agribusiness, U.S. Beet Sugar Association, U.S. Canola Association, U.S. Durum Growers Association, Western Peanut Growers Association, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, North Dakota Corn Growers Association, North Dakota Farmers Union, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, North Dakota Soybean Growers Association and the Northharvest Bean Growers Association.
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Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.