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NCGA says farm bill is headed in right direction, but commodity title needs work

A leader with the National Corn Growers Association says the group is pleased with the passage of the Senate Farm Bill, but there are still improvements that can be made to the commodity title.

Sam Willett, the senior director of public policy, says the NCGA was disappointed the ARC-county program amendment wasn’t passed.

“It protects growers against not only price declines, but it protects producers against area-wide production losses,” he says.

The NCGA endorsed legislation from Senators John Thune and Sherrod Brown that would have modified the ARC payment calculation. Thune withdrew the amendment at the hearing this week, but it could come up on the Senate Floor.

Willett tells Brownfield the passage of the Farm bill is a step forward in getting a bill signed into law before the current one expires.

“At this point growers want certainty and the best kind of certainty we can give them is getting a bill passed,” he says.

The senate majority leader has said the farm bill will go to the Senate floor before July 4.

Audio: Sam Willett, National Corn Growers Association