National Corn Growers Association

News Stories

Feb22
NCGA Participates in Farmers’ Perspective Crop Insurance Panel
Feb. 22: As Congress continues work on the 2012 farm bill, the Crop Insurance Industry’s Annual Convention hosted a panel discussion focusing on the farmers’ perspective. NCGA Public Policy Action Team Chair Anthony Bush participated in the panel and provided his thoughts on farm policy and the new farm bill. The panel also hosted soybean, cotton, wheat and rice growers.

“Ensuring an effective, affordable crop insurance program is NCGA’s No. 1 priority for the next farm bill,” Bush said. “This program provides assurance to farmers when they are facing a loss beyond their control. However, uninsured gaps remain. That is why NCGA is also working with House and Senate Ag Committee leadership to create farm programs that provide additional risk management tools.”

The National Corn Growers Association supports revenue-based risk management tools that complement federal crop insurance in order to protect growers from multiple years of significant declines in prices or yields. For growers, especially young farmers, managing the potential loss of revenue is vital. Revenue programs are not designed to replace crop insurance nor do they guarantee a farmer’s profitability. They are a means to protect some of the risk that current crop insurance programs do not cover.

In the midst of record high federal deficits, corn growers also see an opportunity to make fundamental changes to long established farm programs while still providing assistance to growers only when needed. NCGA urges Congress to pass a new farm bill this year, Bush said.