Special Report

NCGA farmer leaders on lack of Farm Bill

The impact on farmers from the lack of a five-year farm bill is a bone of contention for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). Martin Barbre, an Illinois grower, is the incoming NCGA president.

Barbre tells Brownfield Ag News, “We don’t farm for the Farm Bill, we farm for the market. But, the Farm Bill becomes part of that market. So, you have to have something in place to understand what you’re doing, where you’re going. Without the Farm Bill being in place it leaves an empty gap out there that you can’t fill at this time.”

Outgoing NCGA President Pam Johnson, an Iowa grower, tells Brownfield it’s a very serious situation as the current farm bill extension leaves out the foreign market program, energy title, conservation and more. She says Congress has got to act to help all farmers and ranchers with much-needed certainty.

Johnson tells Brownfield, “MY concern is for those young producers out there that don’t have the certainty of what risk management’s going to look like in the future at a time when we see the price of grain is going to go down now and we’re facing more weather volatility. It’s more important than ever to get that Farm Bill passed.”

Barbre says it’s important to get a new farm bill wrapped up before the end of the year, if it doesn’t make the September 30th deadline.

“You know,” Barbre tells Brownfield, “We always remain hopeful, but, yeah, if we get it done before the end of the year, that’s the main thing — hopefully, NOT at the midnight hour on December 31st like we went through last year.”

Barbre and Johnson spoke with Brownfield at the Farm Progress Show in Illinois this week.
Interview with Pam Johnson and Martin Barbre (12:00 mp3)