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NFU: Farmers need new farm bill
The vice president of the National Farmers Union (NFU) says Midwestern farmers need a new farm bill.
South Dakota farmer Jeff Kippley has spent the past several days visiting with producers in Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa.
“Farm bill is probably number one.” He says, “Everybody wants to get it done. They want to see it completed. They want a good farm bill and unfortunately, we’re not proceeding the way we’d like to. Not as fast as what we would want. And we’re not seeing the answers that we would like to have.”
He tells Brownfield that NFU is concerned splitting out portions of the farm bill in the ongoing reconciliation process may erode support the legislation has seen in the past.
“Now there’s some very good things coming out of it.” He says, “We’re strengthening some reference prices, but there’s some bad things coming out as well. When we start making drastic cuts to SNAP, that’s not necessarily a great thing. And then we’re leaving a lot of things off the table.”
Kippley says the numerous ad hoc aid payments given to farmers in recent years shows the farm bill’s farm safety net needs strengthening.
Brownfield spoke with Kippley at Raber Packing Company in Peoria, IL.
AUDIO: Jeff Kippley – NFU
You tell’em Jeff!