Farm families need a new Farm Bill in 2024 that strengthens the farm safety net, Minnesota Corn Growers Association leaders told congressional staffers and federal officials last week during Corn Congress in Washington, D.C.
Low crop prices, high input costs, rising interest rates, tightening credit, natural disasters, and other factors are hurting farm families, farmer-leaders said, necessitating improvements to federal crop insurance and the Farm Bill’s commodity title.
Specifically, Congress must increase the reference price for corn under the Price Loss Coverage and Agricultural Risk Coverage programs, farmer-leaders said. They also urged support for narrowing deductibles under crop insurance and ensuring quality coverage for all farmers, regions, and commodities. This should be achieved, they said, through greater premium support at higher coverage levels under individual, area-wide, and novel aggregate-risk policies.
Twice a year, Minnesota Corn farmer-leaders travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress and federal agency officials.