News

A Farm Bill of a different nature

The president of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives says Rural America could have a similar impact on the next Farm Bill as it did on the 2016 election.

Chuck Conner told attendees of the Farm Foundation’s recent Farm Bill Forum that if Rural America unifies its message – the impact of activist lobbying groups will be minimized. “If agricultural groups are successful in unifying themselves, and tapping into this rural advocacy,” he says.  “Then folks, I honestly do not expect organizations, such as ones that are part of this panel, to have a huge impact on the next farm bill debate or upon farm policy.”

Other panelists included Scott Faber of the Environmental Working Group and Daren Bakst of the Heritage Foundation.

Conner says the next Farm Bill will likely be much different than the Farm Bill’s that came before it.  “This will be a Farm Bill written in a period with very, very low farm income,” he says.  “And probably declining farm income.  Perhaps what is almost unique to this process is that decline is prevalent for both crops and livestock.”

He says parts of the current Farm Bill aren’t working – like the cotton and dairy programs – so a simple extension is highly unlikely.

Conner is said to be on the short list for the next Secretary of Agriculture.