EPISODE 47

What to Expect from Farm Bill Negotiations

October 12, 2021
CHS Washington representative Will Stafford shares his outlook on Farm Bill negotiations.

New voices could affect Farm Bill passage, says Will Stafford, CHS Washington representative. He shares what he believes could be major sticking points during upcoming negotiations.

“I don’t think the upcoming Farm Bill will be any different from the past two, as far as how much of a challenge it will be to pass,” says Stafford. “A lot of that will depend on results of the 2022 mid-term election. Any bill, but especially the Farm Bill, is going to look very different, depending on who chairs the Senate and House agriculture committees.”

Regardless of which party ends up in control, Stafford expects ample debate on farm policy and nutrition portions of the legislation. Those are the areas where negotiations broke down for previous Farm Bills. 

“There’s probably going to be an attack on the federal crop insurance program at some point in the Farm Bill process,” warns Stafford. “I’ve heard time and time again from producers that this is the most important piece of the farm safety net, so I encourage producers to remind their local congresspeople of the value of an effective crop insurance program.