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Thune urges Senate colleagues to start farm bill work

A South Dakota Senator is urging his colleagues to start working on the 2023 farm bill. 

Republican John Thune says, “The House Agriculture Committee has already begun holding hearings on the 2023 farm bill, and I’m hoping the Senate Agricultural Committee will begin holding hearings soon as well.”

Thune spoke on the Senate floor Thursday, saying agriculture is the lifeblood of the South Dakota economy and advocating for farmers and ranchers is a top priority.  Thune says he is again relying on farmers and ranchers to lend their first-hand knowledge to farm bill work. “Last Friday, I held the first of a series of roundtables I’m planning to hold to hear from South Dakota agricultural producers. Friday’s roundtable focused on the commodity and crop insurance titles in the next farm bill.”

Thune says he wants to make improvements to the Conservation Reserve Program and the crop insurance programs. “Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage (ARC & PLC) payments which help offset losses when prices for agricultural products drop are not always proving sufficient, particularly with our current high inflation which has sent the price of inputs like fertilizer soaring.”

Thune is planning additional farmer roundtable meetings on the next farm bill in South Dakota.