AFBF Wants To Build On December’s Success

The American Farm Bureau Federation hopes to build on this month’s farm aid success with new wins for producers next year, especially a new Farm Bill.  Ask the AFBF, and they’ll tell you that $10 billion in farm aid and $21 billion in farm disaster aid was great news for the agriculture community.  But net farm income is down nearly $40 billion or 25% year-over-year. 

“I think we can build off the success that we had in December here and get a new Farm Bill with new and improved, modernized safety net, so we don’t need this aid," said the AFBF’s Joe Gilson.  "We can rely on that farm safety net of crop insurance and Title I.”

But Gilson won’t rule out another ad hoc aid request if the farm economy warrants it.  Meantime, USDA is caught amid the transition to a new government as it tries to disburse the just approved aid.

“The transition, there could be some snags. I’m sure the incoming administration is going to want to put their stamp of approval on whatever gets sent. We’ll be working with USDA at the Farm Bureau to make sure these dollars get out the door as quickly as possible, so the banks know the money’s coming.”

Gilson said USDA has a 90-day ‘shot clock,’ to get those checks out the door to producers.  Meantime, Gilson said the lesson of the recent farm aid success is that when both parties see the needs of farmers and work together, lawmakers can get things done.

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