NCGA Leader Highlights Importance of Crop Insurance at Senate Ag Subcommittee Hearing on Farm Bill Priorities

Corn growers are championing several priorities as Congress debates reauthorization of the farm bill with crop insurance protection being the top focus, a leader of the National Corn Growers Association said today in testimony before the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade.

“We strongly oppose any efforts to restrict producer access to crop insurance products and oppose harmful program cuts that would negatively impact crop insurance products, their delivery, or the sound structure of the program,” said NCGA First Vice President Harold Wolle.

During the hearing, which was held to elicit producer perspectives on the farm safety net, Wolle testified that NCGA supports increasing the affordability of crop insurance coverage.
“Many corn growers purchase endorsement policies and higher levels of buy up coverage, but for others, the individual costs of purchasing coverage can discourage higher levels of coverage,” he said.

Wolle also provided recommendations for the commodity title portion of the farm safety net, including ways to strengthen the Agriculture Risk Coverage County program and the Price Loss Coverage program.
“Our farm bill recommendations seek to make USDA programs more effective and responsive through strategic investments and policy enhancements,” Wolle said.

Wolle also touched on other farm bill priorities, saying NCGA supports expanding international markets by investing in trade promotion programs. NCGA also supports initiatives to make the existing working land conservation programs more effective in combatting weed resistance, reducing nutrient losses through farmer-led collaborative watershed projects, and speeding the development and adoption of innovative conservation practices.

NCGA President Tom Haag highlighted NCGA’s priorities last Tuesday when he testified before the House Agriculture General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit Subcommittee.

Both Haag and Wolle have said they look forward to working with the Agriculture Committees and Congress to pass a farm bill that works for stakeholders this year.