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Illinois Farm Bureau President worried about farm bill progress

The president of the Illinois Farm Bureau says agriculture needs the U.S. Senate to provide the certainty of a new five-year farm bill. 

However, Phillip Nelson, who farms in LaSalle County, says the clock is ticking.

“The thing that worries me, we’ve got a short time to get there.”  He says, “Senator Thune has said that they’re going to try to do this before the August recess. We don’t have a lot of working days between now and then.”

He tells Brownfield that he’d like to see the Senate’s version include a solution to California’s Proposition 12 animal confinement law.

“I think the other thing that’s got to get addressed is the supplemental nutrition program and that’s a top priority amongst our two senators.”  He says, “So, we’ve got to get that addressed where we can get some buy-in on both sides of the aisle to move this thing forward.”

Nelson, who’ll visit Capitol Hill next month, says the legislation should also take further steps to strengthen crop insurance as farmers continue to face a slumping economy and rising input costs.

AUDIO: Phillip Nelson – Illinois Farm Bureau