In a statement made earlier this week, the Southern Peanut Farmer Federation, one of the most influential peanut advocacy groups in the country, praised the House of Representative’s farm bill draft, urging representatives to quickly approve the bill.

The farm bill that passed the Senate last month was a bipartisan, but regionally divisive bill. While Democrats and Republicans managed to agree on reducing farm spending by $24 billion and approved of strengthening crop insurance programs, Southern farmers and politicians resented the elimination of direct payment subsidies and worried that the proposed insurance programs would disproportionately benefit Midwestern corn farmers.

The Southern Peanut Farmer Federation, which represents more than 80 percent of American peanut farmers, joined with other major Southern farm advocacy groups (including representatives of the cotton and rice industries) to praise the House bill as a successful merger of fiscal responsibility and attentiveness to regional crop diversity.

According to SPFF Chairman Armond Morris, “We would like to thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for their commitment to agriculture. Our producers want a farm bill that provides a safety net yet is fiscally responsible. The House proposal is a balanced bill for all regions of the nation and for all commodities. Rural America and all consumers need this bill to move forward in the Congress before the current law expires.”

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer