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Crop insurance top of farmers’ list for 2023 Farm Bill

Maintaining crop insurance remains the top request from farmers for the 2023 Farm Bill.

El Paso, Illinois farmer Rob Schaffer tells Brownfield that was a hot topic during a recent meeting of Representative Darin LaHood’s Ag Advisory Committee.

“I would suggest that all the farmers that use crop insurance or bankers and input suppliers let their Congress people know that we need crop insurance to stay the way it is. We are lucky enough to be one of the only industries that can get insurance on our business. So, that would be a wonderful way to keep food prices low and keep us surviving.”

He says while they would like to see an increase in reference prices, avoiding cuts is their top concern.

Schaffer says they would also like congress to double the funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program to help lessen dependence on unreliable trading partners like China.

“We have a wonderful advantage when it comes to transportation and we’re really good at growing the crops we grow. There is demand for that out there and we need to build those markets and build those relationships.”

Schaffer spent time in DC this week making these priorities known to other congressional leaders.