Ag Reacts to the Heritage Foundation Report

Early reactions to the Heritage Foundation Report that calls for an end to commodity support programs and crop insurance have been swift.  Dale Moore of the American Farm Bureau Federation says the Heritage Foundation hasn’t considered the current farm economy in their report that would leave farmers without a viable safety net.

He said the challenge to dairy producers has been particularly difficult.

“Congress and agriculture groups have worked toward a more market-oriented system in recent years,” Moore said. Tom Sell of the lobbying firm Combest, Sell and Associates said congress has rejected this line of thinking in the past. They recognize that farmers take on extraordinary risks to produce food for a market that’s been very distorted and volatile in recent years.

“They know the Heritage Foundation is trying to demean policies that total one-quarter of one percent of the overall federal budget,” Sell said.

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