ST. PAUL, Minn. – Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman, R-Ark. today released a 900-page draft of the federal Farm Bill.

“Farm bills are important rural economic development engines, providing funding not only for commodity programs but also for research, conservation, nutrition, credit, rural development and crop insurance,” said Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) President Gary Wertish. “I appreciate the committee’s work to get the bill to this stage and look forward to working with committee members, including Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., to improve this bill in the weeks ahead to meet the many challenges facing farmers, including trade disruptions, rising input costs and corporate consolidation.”

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew issued the following statement reacting to the release of the Farm Bill draft.

“While the bill includes meaningful improvements, it needs to go further to meet the scale of the crisis facing family farmers and ranchers across this country.

“What we need is a true safety net that moves away from ad hoc assistance, keeps pace with rising production costs and delivers real stability in the marketplace. That means strengthening and modernizing core farm programs to reflect today’s economic realities and withstand tomorrow’s shocks. It means building a dedicated structure and funding stream for disaster assistance that is fast, consistent and doesn’t require farmers to wait on Congress to act. These reforms would give farmers more predictable risk management tools, reduce uncertainty and end the cycle of repeated emergency interventions.

“We urge the committee to go further on priorities that matter to farmers and consumers: mandatory country-of-origin labeling for meat and poultry, year-round nationwide E15, local food procurement funding, and stronger Packers and Stockyards Act enforcement.

“If we don’t take decisive action now, we risk losing the next generation of farmers and ranchers. NFU will continue working with the committee and the full Congress to fight for the long-term, structural changes farm country deserves.”

About Minnesota Farmers Union

Minnesota Farmers Union works to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life of family farmers and ranchers and rural communities. MFU is a nonprofit membership-based organization. Membership is open to everyone. Learn more and join at www.mfu.org and follow MFU on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About National Farmers Union

National Farmers Union advocates on behalf of more than 230,000 American farm families and their communities. We envision a world in which farm families and their communities are respected, valued and enjoy economic prosperity and social justice. Learn more at NFU.org.

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Minnesota Farmers Union—Standing for Agriculture, Working for Farmers (www.mfu.org).