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Senate Farm Bill hearing focuses on risk management tools

The latest Senate Ag Committee hearing took a closer look at the importance of risk management tools for the 2018 Farm Bill.

Iowa farmer and National Corn Growers Association board member Bruce Rohwer told the full Committee commodity title programs and federal crop insurance are essential risk management tools for farmers and need to be maintained in the 2018 Farm Bill.

Ag Committee Chair Pat Roberts asked panelists what improvements they’d like to see in crop insurance in the upcoming farm bill.

Rohwer says for the most part crop insurance has worked well for corn and soybean producers.  “The largest concern is that we fix something that is not broken,” he says.

AUDIO: Bruce Rohwer, Iowa farmer, National Corn Growers Association

Kansas wheat farmer David Schemm and president of the National Association of Wheat Growers says crop insurance is also the number one priority for wheat farmers.  But, he says there is room for improvement when it comes to the quality aspect of coverage.  “When they have a component called falling number affect them on the crop insurance side of it,” he says.  “Where producers are actually losing value to their crop from a quality stand point and RMA is actually utilizing that against their yield component.”

Farmers who testified did express concerns about potential cuts to crop insurance and Roberts had this to say.  “We are not going to cut crop insurance,” he says.  “Period.”