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National Farmers Union wants farmer incentives in next Farm Bill

The president of the National Farmers Union says the organization would like to see shift in how the Farm Bill safety net programs are provided.

Roger Johnson is President of the National Farmers Union.

“We have a lot of challenges that need to be dealt with, and we are believers that having incentives for farmers to change practices is a better approach than simply regulating. There seems to be growing support for that concept,” says Johnson.

Johnson says a strong farm safety net will continue to be the organizations top priority for the 2018 Farm Bill.

“That’s why we’ve got crop insurance, and permanent disaster programs for livestock producers,” says Johnson.

He tells Brownfield price protections are critical for farmers in the down farm economy.

“When market prices collapse, and stay low for a long period of time, such as we’re experiencing right now, that really underscores the need for strong price protection kinds of programs like Title 1 programs or PLC,” says Johnson.

And, Johnson says the Farm Bill must include nutritional and conservation programs to ensure its passage. Discussions on the 2018 Farm Bill are expected to begin later this spring.

Audio: Roger Johnson, President, National Farmers Union