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NFU’s Johnson says costs will steer farm bill

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson maintains that costs will be the primary factor when determining what programs are included in the farm bill and which ones are left out. Meeting Friday morning with Missouri Farmers Union members, Johnson said that no one will get everything they want, but he says if stakeholders work together, producers stand a chance of getting what they need, such as safety nets, which, said Johnson, are National Farmers Union’s top priority.

“[These are] the kinds of programs that will kick in when the market collapses or when you’ve got natural disasters that strike and folks need some help in order to survive long enough to farm another year,” Johnson told Brownfield, following his meeting in Macon, Missouri. 

Johnson says agriculture is united in its willingness to make concessions in order to get the country’s fiscal house in order, as long as other sectors of the economy shoulder a like burden.

“We are going to fight against disproportionate budget cuts,” declared Johnson. “Pretty much all the numbers that are floating out there right now are disproportionately large against agriculture and I think you’re going to see agriculture across the board united on that point.” 

Johnson says that because of farming’s unpredictability, such as weather and commodity prices not in a producer’s control, any farm bill must help protect farmers and ranchers. 

Specifically, Johnson mentioned that Missouri farmers are dealing with severe flooding and have had a difficult spring, demonstrating the need for a strong safety net. He also said livestock producers need assurances in the next farm bill that they will be able to compete in a fair marketplace.

“Declining numbers of ranchers in Missouri and across the nation attest to the extreme market power that large packers currently exert on producers,” he said.

AUDIO: Roger Johnson (9 min. MP3)