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U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown...
Fighting
for Ohio’s Farms
There’s a
lot that farmers can plan for: the type of crops to grow, how much
acreage
those crops will cover, and when to pick those crops. But this year, a
widespread drought has left many Ohio farmers with an unplanned
disaster:
fields dry as a bone and minimal yields.
According
to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research
Service,
Ohio and most of the U.S. are in the midst of the most severe and
extensive
drought in at least 25 years. What looked to be a bumper crop this
spring is now
coming up dry.
Agriculture
and food contribute more than $107 billion to our state’s economy each
year.
And one out of every seven Ohio jobs is connected to growing,
processing and
distributing the food we eat.
But with
nearly 40 percent of agricultural land—and 65 percent of farms across
the
country – experiencing drought this year, much of Ohio farmers’
production is
in jeopardy. While this year’s weather has been particularly extreme,
farmers
face the prospect of bad weather every year.
That’s why,
time and again—in roundtables and over coffee, on farms and at
forums—Ohioans
have told me that they need a strong farm bill. And I’m fighting for
one.
In June,
the Senate passed a bipartisan, five-year farm bill that includes a
stronger
and more market-oriented safety net, better crop insurance, a
streamlined
package of conservation programs, and provisions that save taxpayers
more than
$23 billion over the next ten years.
The bill
also includes and makes permanent disaster assistance for producers who
lose
livestock, trees, and fruit and vegetable production due to natural
disasters
such as drought, fire, and frost. Many of these programs were included
in the
2008 farm bill, but expired last year. Without action, critical risk
management
and disaster assistance programs like these won’t be there for farmers
who need
them.
Providing
farmers the assistance they need to get through the ongoing drought is
a shared
priority. But in Washington, there is currently a difference of opinion
as to
how to provide this assistance.
My
preference is to pass a bipartisan five-year farm bill—like the
Senate’s
Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act—that includes substantial
disaster
assistance, farm program reform, and investments in conservation and
rural
communities, while also reducing the deficit.
Unfortunately,
instead of passing the Senate’s bipartisan farm bill, the U.S. House of
Representatives is opting for a disaster package that fails to provide
producers with long-term certainty and the smarter, more efficient
safety net
they deserve. To add insult to injury, the House finances this
temporary
solution with significant cuts to long-term investments in soil, water,
and
wildlife conservation.
As of last
week, five Ohio counties—Fulton, Williams, Defiance, Paulding, and Van
Wert—were among the 1,300 counties nationwide that have been designated
as
disaster areas by the USDA. And although some USDA emergency loan
programs are
available today, farmers and livestock producers need certainty to plan
and manage
their businesses for the long-term.
The current
farm bill is set to expire on September 30th. We can’t let this happen.
Ohio
farmers and ranchers need a long-term bill to pull them through this
summer’s
drought and assist them as they continue in the future. The 2012 farm
bill must
help Ohio’s rural communities to create jobs and strengthen our economy.
That’s why
I will continue to fight to pass a five-year farm bill. It’s the
responsible
thing to do and in the midst of drought, Ohio agriculture depends on it.
Sincerely,
Sherrod
Brown
U.S.
Senator
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