There has been action on the farm bill in the House Agriculture Committee, but the possibility of an extension remains. 
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue hopes the farm bill can be completed on a timely basis. “The stresses out there are somewhat cumulative. We’ve had the first announcement over TPP, then we’ve had NAFTA and trade disputes. Farmers, like any business people, thrive on certainty and when you don’t have a farm bill, that’s a lack of certainty contributing to the stress.” In a meeting with farm broadcasters, Perdue said it would be upsetting if politics would get in the way of farm bill passage. “I was disappointed the House Democrats chose to stand on the work requirement issue. I think they’ve overreached again. If they asked their constituents, both Democrats and Republicans, I think they’ll get a different message than what they’re doing. I hope their tactics aren’t stalling, hoping for a change of leadership in the House in 2018 where they can control more issues in the farm bill.”
RRFN’s Farm Bill Focus is sponsored, in part, by AgCountry Farm Credit Services.
