Talks regarding the 2018 Farm Bill are heating up. Major players in the agriculture industry agree that now is the time to develop your strategy ensuring that your viewpoints are heard.

The National Corn Growers Association

Sam Willett with the National Corn Growers Association says it is not too soon to discuss the next Farm Bill. He notes “the current bill was written during a time of profit, but this next bill will be written during a time of falling farm income.”¹

American Farm Bureau Federation

“We’re in the middle of our [Farm Bill] policy process right now in our counties and states, and that will roll up to the national level in December and January at our national convention,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall told Agri-Pulse, expressing a theme voiced by other stakeholders.²

Dr. Bob Young, Chief Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation

American Farm Bureau Federation Chief Economist Bob Young says they’ve already started discussions at the grassroots level. “It’s important to get the farm bill talks going as quickly as possible,” says Young.  “I think we’ll have some folks that are going to try to make a push even in 2017 to talk about some provisions in farm legislation, and so I think it’s important for us to us to make sure that the groundwork’s laid and that our membership has informed us of what their issues, concerns, and desires are so that we’ve got all that information in hand as we go forward. ”³

National Council of Farmer Cooperatives

Chuck Conner, President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives added, “But prudence says we should start early to deliver a Farm Bill on time. It’s important to get it done, and get in done on time.”⁴ “Congress will need to get to work right away on the new Farm Bill in 2017.⁵

Before Mid-term Elections…

Agri-pulse.com’s Spencer Chase reports that some groups feel that producing the Farm Bill before 2018 would free it from potential conflicts brought about by the midterm elections.⁶

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Tim Cansler

Chief Strategist at Cansler Consulting, LLC

Tim has over 30 years of extensive experience in federal legislative and regulatory matters. His trusted advise helps clients navigate federal government processes to successful policy outcomes. He is a member of the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics in Washington, D.C.

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1. Hoosier Ag Today [↩]
2. Agri-Pulse [↩]
3. NWR New Farm Bill [↩]
4. AgInfo [↩]
5. NWR New Farm Bill [↩]
6. AgInfo [↩]