WASHINGTON — U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway released the heavily anticipated text of a new Farm Bill.

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson thanked the committee for their work to put together a farm bill and encouraged Congress to work together in a bipartisan fashion to advance a stronger farm bill for family farmers in 2018. Johnson issued the following statement in response to the release:

“Farmers Union appreciates the hard work of the House Agriculture Committee over the past couple years to develop a farm bill that works to improve the lives of all Americans.

“Farm income stands at just half of what it was when the last farm bill was written, leaving thousands of farm families struggling financially. Under current conditions and with the programs we have in place, we’re losing farmers. Family farmers and ranchers simply need more resources.

“Yet congressional leadership has severely hamstrung the committee’s ability to address the six-year, 50 percent decline in the farm economy. While they’ve shown little regard for spending and deficits this Congress, they’ve failed to provide adequate resources for food and agriculture at a time of grave financial strain on family farmers and ranchers. This is irresponsible and harmful.

“Family farmers deserve to be a priority. They deserve to have a safety net that addresses current economic conditions. They deserve strong programs that help them improve the long-term sustainability of their farms. And they deserve access to fair and diverse markets. The final version of this farm bill must reflect the growing challenges family farmers face.”

— National Farmers Union