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Grassley says maintaining crop insurance is top priority

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says it’s important to maintain a strong safety net for farmers in the next farm bill.

“Budgets are going to be a big issue,” Grassley says. “But of all the things that are going to be considered most important, it will be the maintenance of crop insurance. I think that will be our top priority.”

Grassley says one way to strengthen the safety net would be to enhance the ARC and PLC commodity programs.

“But I hate to give farmers false hope by saying they can be enhanced. I think they can be maintained.”

However, Grassley says, the farm bill will not ensure prosperity for farmers.

“Most of the prosperity in farming is going to come from an ability to export,” he says. “So I think the issues dealing with NAFTA or the replacement of TPP are probably more important to the long-term prosperity of agriculture than even the farm bill.”

The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold its first farm bill field hearing Thursday in Manhattan, Kansas. Ken Anderson will cover the hearing for Brownfield.

AUDIO: Excerpts from Grassley’s weekly conference call with ag reporters