Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack would like the next farm bill to have flexible programs. “We found in the course of the COVID pandemic and other significant disasters that different parts of the country have been impacted or affected differently. Sometimes a program designed to be nationwide works well in one part of the country, but not as well in another part of the country.” Vilsack told the Red River Farm Network that is why Congress felt the need to establish the WHIP+ program and increase investments in that program to address the issues.” Vilsack said farm program flexibility should distinguish between geographical areas and commodities when providing assistance. “We allow the natural resources advantage we have in rural areas to be a value added somewhere other than rural places. The challenge for us to be will to look at ways in which farm bill programs can encourage a more circular effort where advantages stay in relatively the same location.”
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