WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Corn Growers Association  congratulates the Senate on passage of the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act (2013 farm bill). The legislation was agreed to by a vote of 66-27. NCGA now urges the House of Representatives to quickly follow suit.
“America’s farmers greatly appreciate the leadership and bipartisan efforts by the Senate to complete their work on the farm bill,” NCGA President Pam Johnson said. “We also recognize the efforts put forth to address regional concerns to ensure all areas of the country are adequately represented in the final language.”
NCGA has worked to advance market-oriented reforms in commodity programs to address significant gaps in the farm safety net. The revenue-based Agriculture Risk Coverage Program, designed to complement producers’ individual crop insurance policies, will provide protection against multi-year price and production declines that adjusts with the marketplace. This signature reform, coupled with a strong federal crop insurance program, will result in substantial budget savings for taxpayers and more effective risk management tools for corn growers.
“This legislation is long overdue and our work is still not done,” Johnson said. “Our focus now turns to the House of Representatives with hopes that they schedule floor time to consider the legislation as soon as possible. We look forward to continuing to partner with agriculture advocates to pass a new common-sense, reform-minded farm bill.”