AFBF President Says More Aid Needed

By Chris Clayton

With farm losses running into the tens of billions and Congress still unable to pass a new farm bill, the president of the American Farm Bureau Federation told members on Sunday that the Trump administration’s $12 billion in ad-hoc aid is not enough. He warned policymakers that more relief, expanded trade and labor reform are urgently needed to keep farm families afloat.

“We have faced some tough times across agriculture this year, and there’s no sugarcoating that,” said Georgia farmer Zippy Duvall. “It’s real and I know it has been difficult for many of you.”

Duvall, speaking at AFBF’s annual meeting in Anaheim, California, said farmers are grateful for USDA’s $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program announced in December, but he stressed it does not come close to offsetting the full extent of losses farmers have faced during the past two years.

“It is definitely needed in farm country, but the losses are much deeper than that. More support is still needed to cover the tens of billions lost over the last couple years,” Duvall said.

Duvall later added, “With the toughest farm economy we’ve seen in a generation, we know our leaders need to hear from us about what relief is needed in the short- and long-term.”