2014 LOGAN COUNTY FARM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com MARCH 27, 2014 33
Is this the farm bill that we wanted?
Is it what agriculture needs?
I
n August of 2012, U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock visited
Logan County and conducted an agricultural
summit at Lincoln College.
At that time, the current farm bill was on the verge
of expiration and a new farm bill was being stalled in
Washington.
When he came to Lincoln, Schock brought with him
U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, who was the chairman of the
House Agriculture Committee. Lucas was happy to
speak about the farm bill, saying he was satisfied that
what his committee sent to the House was what the
American farmer needed.
During the discussions by Lucas and Shock, the
congressmen outlined the important aspects of the
bill:
• A reduction in food stamps and a change in
how food stamps are approved for low-income
households.
•The need for changes in revenue and price
protection for agricultural crops.
During discussions, one farmer in the audience spoke
up saying that local farmers didn’t want handouts
from the government. They didn’t want subsidies on
crops not raised and automatic payments for yields
not realized.
When the farm bill passed early this year, for at least
one farmer, his wish came true. In the new bill there
are no automatic payments that would have an effect
on Logan County farmers. There will still be some
direct payments in 2014 and 2015 for cotton growers.
What there will be from July forward is a much more
complex crop insurance program with multiple ways
of insuring crops. Below is an excerpt from the bill,
describing the insurance that is available.
(Copy)
Direct payments are repealed except for reduced
transition payments to cotton for the 2014 crop and
even smaller payments for the 2015 crop under
specified, limited conditions.
Programs authorized for the 2014-2018 crop years
and through December 31, 2018 for dairy.
A crop farm has a one-time, irrevocable opportunity
to elect either Price Loss Coverage (PLC) or county
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) on a crop by crop
basis. The producer may also elect individual farm
ARC, but this election applies to the entire farm.
If no choice is made, the farm defaults to PLC. All
producers on a farm must make the same election or
face potential loss of payments for the 2014 crop.
Continued to page 34
