Despite their failure to push through the 2012 Farm Bill, the American Farm Bureau is still pushing for a reform-minded farm bill that meets the needs of modern American farming.

For the past several months, the farm bill has been stalled in Congress. Despite some promising momentum in the summer (with the Senate and the House Agriculture Committee passing versions of the farm bill), House leadership refused to hold a floor vote and stalled the bill.

The bill subsequently died during the lame duck session.

Despite their initial failure, the Farm Bureau is still mobilizing its considerable muscle to push through a new bill in the New Year. In particular, the Farm Bureau has accepted some spending cuts, namely the loss of direct payment subsidies, in exchange for increased protection for struggling farmers.

In an opening speech to the Farm Bureau’s annual convention, President Bob Stallman stated, “Now, we need the new Congress to show the leadership needed to pass long-term farm policy and enact the kind of reforms that the Senate and House Agriculture Committee have approved.”

In particular, the Farm Bureau is pushing for increased drought relief programs and increases in crop insurance funding in exchange for accepting major subsidies cuts.

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer