A coalition of more than 50 farm groups is asking lawmakers to safeguard crop insurance.
The organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, warned in a letter to top-ranking House and Senate budget leaders this week that “An overreliance on budget savings from the agriculture community and from crop insurance will unquestionably undermine rural economies.”
2018 farm profitability is expected to hit a low not experienced in more than a decade.
The groups also noted the public-private partnership of crop insurance has been a consistent and reliable risk management tool for farmers, particularly at a time of heightened uncertainty in agriculture caused by natural disasters, trade disputes and government shutdowns.
The letter says farmers and lawmakers “agree that crop insurance is a linchpin of the farm safety net” and is crucial to the economic and food security of rural America.
The groups concluded the letter urging lawmakers to oppose cuts to crop insurance during this year’s budget process.