The approval of the farm bill in the House Agriculture Committee received praise from many of the largest farm organizations. The bill’s passage was also an opportunity for these groups to highlight policy priorities.
The National Association of Wheat Growers cited the crop insurance provisions and the funding for export market development programs. The National Corn Growers Association focused on crop insurance, reforms to the ARC-county programs and the trade promotion programs. The National Milk Producers Federation welcomed the improvements made in the dairy industry’s Margin Protection Program. Funding for a vaccine bank to deal with Foot and Mouth Disease and market development programs are supported by the National Pork Producers Council. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association also praised the FMD vaccine bank funding and the investments in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. The American Soybean Association released a statement, saying it is concerned about the lack of bipartisan support for the current bill.
Farm bill focus is sponsored, in part, by the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association and AgCountry Farm Credit Services.