09.08.23

Hoeven, FSA Administrator Meet with Local Producers, Gather Feedback on Farm Bill Priorities

Senator Outlines the Need to Update ARC & PLC, Ensure an Effective Farm Safety Net

MANDAN, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today held a roundtable with Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Ducheneaux, North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and local agriculture producers to discuss priorities for the next farm bill. Hoeven invited Ducheneaux to the state to ensure North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers have the opportunity to give direct input on the nation’s farm policy, with the senator stressing the need to:

  • Update and improve the counter-cyclical safety net, including the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.
    • Hoeven stated that reference prices need to reflect market realities and the cost of production that farmers are currently facing.
  • Enhance livestock disaster programs, including the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) and the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP).
  • Modernize FSA loan limits to reflect the cost of production and ensure access to adequate credit.
  • Make sure programs are voluntary and farmer-friendly, instead of one-size-fits-all, to reduce the regulatory burden on producers.

“With a new farm bill on the horizon, we are working to maintain, improve and fully fund the farm safety net so our farmers and ranchers are in a strong position to weather difficult times and continue succeeding in the global marketplace,” said Hoeven. “I appreciate Administrator Ducheneaux for once again joining us in North Dakota as we discuss our nation’s farm policy, particularly our efforts to update ARC and PLC and ensure they remain an effective backstop for producers. At the same time, we are working to maintain crop insurance, improve the support available to livestock producers during natural disasters, ensure access to credit and reduce the regulatory burden on our producers.”

The meeting comes as part of Hoeven’s continued efforts to gather feedback from the state’s producers and ensure U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs work for farmers and ranchers. In addition, the senator is working to:

  • Strengthen crop insurance, the primary risk management tool for many producers.
    • Hoeven stressed that by allowing farmers to select a higher level of coverage, particularly in the northern plains, producers will be better able to weather natural disasters.
  • Ensure support for U.S. sugar policy.
  • Improve transparency and competition in cattle markets.
  • Improve risk management tools available to livestock producers, such as Livestock Risk Protection (LRP), to expand adoption by ranchers.

-###-