Crop Insurance In Upcoming Farm Bill

It’s a debate that can get hot from time to time.  The future of crop insurance in the upcoming Farm Bill.  Several commodity groups, including the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, have said crop insurance is vital here in the Northwest.  Some have called for Farm Safety Net to be thoroughly looked at before a 2018 Farm Bill is voted on.  Tax Payers for Common Sense has called for changes to crop insurance.  T-C-S’s Josh Sewell said their main problem now, is how the current program favors some commodities and groups over others.

“That the government is only spending money that we absolutely have to spend in order to provide a robust safety net but not one that too generous or one that does create some unintended or negative consequences.”

He said they would like to see insurance to focus more on speciality crops.  In addition, he noted Tax Payers for Common Sense is not calling for the elimination of crop insurance, but a conversation.  He added things move so slowly in DC, that now is the time to start that conversation.

“We don’t want to make drastic reforms that are going to cause problems but we do think that if we get a lot of folks engaged in what agriculture, the various parts of agriculture, the various types of businesses in agriculture are, the obstacles they face the opportunities they see, we’ve got to have that conversation and it’s going to take a long time.”

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