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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – North Dakota Farmers Union (NDFU) shared a “must have” list of farm bill priorities at an Ag roundtable discussion hosted by Sen. John Hoeven yesterday in Fargo. A strong safety net woven from commodity and crop insurance programs tops the list.

“In order to grow a safe and reliable supply of food, farmers and ranchers need protection in times of weather disaster and market price collapse to stay in business,” said NDFU President Woody Barth. “Crop insurance, especially, and commodity programs make up a safety net of protection that farmers need. It’s protection really that keeps food on the table for all Americans.”

Both houses of Congress have passed a farm bill, but the House has yet to name members to its conference committee. The House stripped the nutrition title from its bill, which NDFU opposes.

“The linkage to nutrition programs is important to family farmers and ranchers,” said Barth. For decades, the farm bill rose above partisan fighting and was passed because of the comprehensive approach of tying farm programs to nutrition programs, he noted. “It is about connecting the people who grow food to those who eat food… a farm-to table story that reinforces the importance of a strong ag economy.”

NDFU is also advocating for inclusion of permanent law into a new farm bill, a provision repealed in the House bill. “The permanent law provision ensures that Congress will be engaged in farm policy at least every five years when a new farm bill is written, otherwise price benchmarks come into play that could double the price of milk, for instance. That is an important reality check that allows producers, consumers, industry and taxpayers to have input into the farm bill.”

Barth noted that 67 NDFU members will be in Washington, D.C., Sept. 8-11 to lobby for a new farm bill as part of National Farmers Union’s legislative fly-in effort. Members of the North Dakota delegation will also be lobbying to eliminate mandatory conservation compliance for crop insurance eligibility, a provision that is included in the Senate farm bill.