WASHINGTON, D.C. (NewsDakota.com) – Leaders nationwide praised the passage of the farm bill as President Trump signed it into law Thursday.

Also known as the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2019, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, who attended the White House bill signing ceremony with President Trump, applauded its passage.

“We are grateful that we have a new farm bill before the end of the year,” Goehring said. “The legislation provides certainty to agricultural producers in North Dakota and across the nation.”

Senator John Hoeven also joined the president as he signed the bill into law.

Locally, North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne issued the following statement in regards to the passage of the bill.

“We applaud our congressional delegation and the bipartisan work of the conference committee in getting a farm bill to the President before year’s end. This gives farmers some certainty moving forward in very uncertain economic times. We appreciate the strong crop insurance component in the bill and adjustments made to existing farm programs, including ARC, and FSA loan limits.

“Our country needs a strong farm bill to establish food security for our nation, and safety nets for farmers and the hungry among us who rely daily on SNAP benefits to eat. The richest country in the world can afford to feed its people.”

The bipartisan bill Trump signed Thursday provides billions of dollars in assistance for farmers, research projects and mental health programs in addition to re-authorizing nutrition assistance programs and legalizing industrial hemp.