WASHINGTON — North Dakota farmer Kevin Skunes, president of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), made the following statement after the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry approved the bipartisan Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.
“Today’s Committee action marks another step forward in getting a new farm bill passed and signed into law before the current bill expires, providing some certainty to farmers facing declining commodity prices and the uncertainty caused by trade tariffs and ethanol market disruptions. NCGA commends Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow for working together to write a bipartisan bill.
“NCGA is pleased to see the bipartisan bill maintains support for a robust crop insurance program, our organization’s top farm bill priority. At the same time, it is very disappointing that provisions attempting to secure a more regionally equitable commodity title and improve the ARC-county program to ensure producers have a viable, market-oriented risk management option were not included in the final bill. We hope there will be opportunities to improve these areas as the bill moves forward.”
About the National Corn Growers Association
Founded in 1957, the National Corn Growers Association represents nearly 40,000 dues-paying corn farmers nationwide and the interests of more than 300,000 growers who contribute through corn checkoff programs in their states. NCGA and its 49 affiliated state organizations work together to create and increase opportunities for corn growers. For more information, visit www.ncga.com.
— National Corn Growers Association