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Brown: Ohio farmers need certainty, flexibility after the 2019 planting season

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is urging the USDA to expand flooding coverage for farmers hurt by record rains this planting season.  

Brown says many Ohio farmers planted less than 50 percent of their intended corn and soybean acres.

“We’re working with Secretary Perdue to declare a disaster designation for farmers so they can get financial assistance that they need,” he says. “Crop insurance is helpful but is not enough.”

He tells Brownfield farmers need certainty now more than ever. 

“I’ve heard a lot of strong talk in the administration about agriculture, but I see what the tariffs are doing and I see the slow response from USDA to help farmers that are facing serious financial problems in the next month because of no real harvest,” he says. “I just want this administration to start paying attention to Ohio agriculture.”

Brown says he is pleased the USDA will allow for early haying, grazing, and harvest of forage from cover crops.

“Farmers can at least do some of their cover crops without paying the penalty that they would have had to pay in the past, so that’s a step,” he says.

According to Ohio Farm Bureau, this has been the worst planting season since it started tracking planting progress in the late 1970s.

Audio: Senator Sherrod Brown