Letter to the Editor: Why Missouri needs a farm bill now

Dear Editor,

This fall, Congress has an important opportunity to create jobs and grow the economy by passing a long-term, comprehensive food, farm and jobs bill. The farm bill impacts every American, every day by providing a wide range of programs that strengthen our nation.

The Farm Bill is crucial to maintaining a strong agriculture sector and an abundant food supply that benefits all Americans. During the past two years, producers have faced a multitude of disasters – from drought, to flooding, to blizzards. These events demonstrate the importance of a safety net for keeping producers going strong. Under the 2008 farm bill, the Farm Service Agency was able to provide $219 million in disaster assistance in Missouri using farm bill programs.

A new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would provide a strong crop insurance program, reauthorize the now-expired disaster assistance programs, and provide retroactive assistance for livestock producers. By reforming the safety net to eliminate the direct payment program – which pays producers whether or not they are in need of assistance – the bill also would save billions.

In addition, it would allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue export promotion efforts that have led to the best five-year period in agricultural trade in American history and would provide the FSA with tools to extend additional farm credit in Missouri.

The farm bill is also a job creation bill that would empower USDA to partner with rural communities to grow, expand and support new businesses.

It would help Main Street businesses grow and hire more, strengthen infrastructure in our small towns and provide new opportunities in biobased product manufacturing and renewable energy. For example, in Missouri, USDA has provided more than 179 projects since 2009 to help farmers, ranchers and rural businesses save energy through the Rural Energy for America Program.

A new farm bill would make important investments in nutrition programs that provide critical assistance to vulnerable Americans. It would enable USDA to continue to work with more than 500,000 producers and landowners to conserve soil and water. It would undertake new strategies to improve agricultural research, and it would ensure a safe food supply.

All of these efforts strengthen our nation. A new food, farm and jobs bill would continue the job growth we’ve seen in recent years and help grow the rural economy. That’s why President Barack Obama has identified passage of a new farm bill as one of his top three legislative priorities this fall.

This is a prime opportunity to give America’s farmers, ranchers and producers the certainty they need about the next five years of U.S. farm policy, while investing in the rural communities that stand at the heart of our values. The farm bill has stood as a model of bipartisan consensus for decades, and it is high time that both Democrats and Republicans come to a compromise.

—Mark Cadle, executive director of the Missouri Farm Service Agency, and Janie Dunning, director of Missouri Rural Development[[In-content Ad]]