Convincing Congress to pass a new farm bill this year was the focus of a group of 40 Oklahoma Farm Bureau leaders during an intense lobbying effort in Washington, D.C. March 26-29.
“It’s extremely important we get a new farm bill written this year,” said Mike Spradling, OFB president. “Continued delays by Congress to pass the new farm bill will reduce the farm program’s effectiveness.”
The Farm Bureau leaders emphasized they need a new farm bill that provides a strong safety net for farm income using a combination of crop insurance, a revenue assurance program and price protection.
Spradling said an effective crop insurance program is needed when agricultural crises arise such as the recent drought that severely damaged crops in the southern High Plains.
“The recent history of natural disasters has proven an effective crop insurance program is the only thing that stands between producers having the chance to grow another crop and food production being severely impacted,” Spradling said.
The Farm Bureau president said crop insurance needs to continue to be viable, affordable and flexible to cover a wide variety of crops and growing regions.
“We caution against a wholesale rewrite of the crop insurance program at a time when it has proven its worth and accomplished its purpose of managing risk,” Spradling said.
During the trip, the farm leaders met with U.S. Senators Inhofe and Coburn, plus all five U.S. House members from Oklahoma, including Frank Lucas, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.
“Lucas is directing the new farm bill and we’re glad he understands how important the farm bill is for Oklahoma agriculture,” Spradling said.
The farm leaders also had a brief meeting with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“Vilsack understands the need to have a strong farm bill written this year,” said Scott Neufeld, Fairview. Neufeld is chairman of Farm Bureau’s farm bill committee.
Neufeld said the federal officials indicated they support a deadline that calls for Congress to complete work on the farm bill by fall.
“Best case scenario is by August we could have the bill in conference committee and getting the details worked out,” Neufeld said.
The Farm Bureau group has made the Washington, D.C. trip an annual rite of spring, as they take time out from their farm chores to visit the capitol and talk with the nation’s leaders.
“This is a valuable trip for farm leaders,” Spradling said. “It shows our Oklahoma congressional delegation we support them and it gives our members an opportunity to see how the federal government functions.”
