House and Senate conferees continue to try to meld the different versions of the Farm Bill into one piece of legislation.

 

"Time is running short, as you know, to get this done by September 30th,” said Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue.  “I'm an optimist, I'm always hopeful, but we have some real challenges that await. Certainly, there is still a gulf between the House and the Senate."

The two bills differ on many issues, from conservation to payment limits to policies surrounding SNAP, or the food-stamp program, and time is running out.

 

"We need that safety net that you all out there can depend on, as you make plans for '19. The stress of the economics right now make those decisions even more critical, and we need some certainty about that."]

But, there's still some uncertainty about whether or not a new Farm Bill can get done before the current one expires.  Also uncertainty about a possible government shut down at the end of this month for other budget issues is weighing on the mind of the farming community.

 

 

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