Perdue Advocates for Crop Insurance Program

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue walked a tightrope while talking with reporters about President Trump’s budget proposals with which agriculture isn’t enamored.  One of the proposals included cuts to crop insurance.  Agri-Pulse said Perdue is making strong statements in support of the program as it currently is.  One of the largest cuts in the Trump Budget Proposal is to crop insurance.  The largest cut would save $22 billion over 10 years by slashing premium subsidies.

Perdue told reports at the Agricultural Outlook Conference that crop insurance is a very “viable part of the safety net” and that Americans “get a good deal on subsidies for the program.” Perdue didn’t say directly that he tried to talk the White House out of budget cuts. However, he seemed to when he told the reporters, “While it would be inappropriate to disclose private conversations,” Perdue says, “we were advocates for the American farmer.”

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