Members of U.S. House and Senate committees are about to start work on a new farm bill. And with a mood to cut spending in Washington, some things could be on the chopping block.
Kansas Senator Jerry Moran says the next federal farm bill is likely to cut back or eliminate some farm subsidies.
The Republican from Manhattan says that while many lawmakers are focused on cutting spending, he's hoping to protect money allocated to support the federal crop insurance program. Moran says that the need for crop insurance has been highlighted recently, as drought and a late spring freeze have affected Kansas farmers.
"Crop insurance is a tool, a public private partnership, that farmers pay premiums but the product is subsidized so it’s affordable, allowing farmers to put seed back in the ground and start another crop when one fails," says Moran.
The ag committees in both the U.S. House and Senate are expected to start debating and amending versions of a new farm bill this month.
