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National Farmers Union calls farm bill inadequate

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson says the House Ag Committee’s version of the farm bill is inadequate.  He says it fails to provide family farmers with the resources they need to endure the worst decline in the farm economy in decades.   “This bill lacks the improvements needed to provide sufficient farmer and consumer safety nets.  It upends programs that improve sustainability, and it removes programs that aid the growth of fair and diverse markets for family farmers.”

Johnson pointed out two major areas of concern with the bill.  “Farmers need higher PLC reference prices for commodities that have been underwater for years.  Dairy farmers need both price supports and a mechanism that manages our nation’s oversupply of milk.”

Johnson was also critical of efforts to modify the SNAP program, and for the bill’s failure to fund the Farmer’s Market and Local Foods Promotion program, the National Organic Certification Cost Share program, and the Value Added Producer Grants through USDA’s rural development program.