BrownfieldAgNews reports:
A leader with USDA says there has been some bipartisan support for crop insurance in farm bill discussions.
Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, says the crop insurance title could be strengthened to help producers facing extreme drought and higher risks of flooding. “We’re always looking for ways to tweak the program,” he said, “make it work better, provide more opportunities for more diverse producers.”
Speaking to Brownfield in Washington, D.C., he says support for the Conservation Reserve Program should also be a priority. “We’re seeing fewer acres come in through the general sign up,” Bonnie said. “We’re seeing more acres come in targeted enrollments, grasslands. We think there are opportunities there to expand on those efforts to improve those efforts to make sure that CRP continues to be focused on marginal land.”
The current farm bill extension expires at the end of September.
