By Sara Schafer, Top Producer Editor
From AgWeb Online
The current farm bill expires in September 2018. So that’s the hard line in the sand to pass a new farm bill or extend the current one.
“The 2018 farm bill could look mostly like 2014 farm bill,” says Pat Westhoff, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri. “A lot of people are reasonably happy with what they have, and it is hard to agree on alternatives.” Continue reading
Through the work of dedicated staff in over 2,100 county and state offices, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides vital farm safety-net assistance to agricultural producers across America.
“We’ve seen recent challenges in farm income and commodity prices,” said Robert Johansson, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for the Farm Production and Conservation mission area. “The ‘safety net’ provided in the 2014 Farm Bill has helped producers withstand economic losses as well as losses resulting from natural disasters. Loans for operating expenses, farm purchases and other purposes help current producers stay in business and allow a new generation of farmers and ranchers get their start.” Continue reading