AFBF Shares Farm Bill Needs with Congress
Mark Haney, Kentucky Farm Bureau President, told the Senate Agriculture Committee that lawmakers need to counter a steep, four-year drop in commodity prices that has left farmers and ranchers in worse shape than any time since the farm depression of the 1980s. Given the state of the farm economy, he says protecting farm bill spending and maintaining the farm safety net is critical in the next farm bill…
“Really, the goals for American Farm Bureau, and the farm bill this year is to keep the safety net of crop insurance, at the center. However, we want to be able to expand programs that help dairy, we want to be able to utilize and enhance ARC county program, PLC, all those, we want to be in place. We want to be able to chose, re-enroll in the new farm bill, and really be able to use those programs that’s operational for their farm.”
Haney urged Congress to maintain robust funding for conservation programs that encourage environmentally sensitive farming practices as well as for research programs that will keep ag on the cutting edge of technology….
“Research has a huge impact on the way we produce, and how we’re going to produce in the future. How, we’re going to deal with maybe, a shortage of water, or how we’re going to improve yields when we have less water, and less inputs. All those things have to be done from the angle of research.”
He says a strong farm bill will support the farm and rural economy….
“We’re all looking for the same thing in rural America. We all want to continue multi-generational farming, we want to be able to raise our children and grandchildren in a rural community that has the best that the world can offer. They want pristine waters, and good roads and good infrastructure, nice schools and hospitals, and all the things that go with where you and I and other folks want to live. We want that for our children and the farm bill helps deliver that.”
Mark Haney, Kentucky Farm Bureau President.
A native of the Texas Panhandle, Rhonda was born and raised on a cotton farm where she saw cotton farming evolve from ditch irrigation to center pivot irrigation and harvest trailers to modules. After graduating from Texas Tech University, she got her start in radio with KGNC News Talk 710 in Amarillo, Texas.
