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Risk management tools a top priority for farmers

Hoosier farmers discussed their farm bill concerns with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.

The Secretary says farmers made their priorities clear. “Create a safety net where farmers can produce for the market and not produce for the program,” he says. “We don’t want a safety net so high where people produce for the program rather than the market.”

Indiana farmer and crop insurance specialist Anngie Steinbarger says she doesn’t want to see any drastic changes to the crop insurance program.

“No means testing for farmers and no subsidy caps for farmers,” she says. “All that ends up doing is making more people leave that program and makes a lower risk pool, which makes the cost of insurance greater for everyone else who is participating.”

She tells Brownfield the reason crop insurance works is because farmers have skin in the game.

Audio: Anngie Steinbarger, Indiana farmer