Volume 6, Issue 30, July 24, 2006

Straight Talk With Sam

Crop Insurance for Missouri Farmers

Farmers know the business of agriculture is inherently risky. We cannot control the weather, and unfortunately, much of what we farmers do depends on the weather. Disasters come in different forms and sizes. Farmers have learned all too well that at any given time they can be one day away from a flood, two weeks away from a drought, and a couple of months away from pest infestation.

Our country has a responsibility to help farmers get through these disasters so they can be ready to plant crops next spring. Part of this responsibility includes crop insurance.

The Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000 was a vast improvement over the previous crop insurance program, but still did not go far enough to protect the farmer. The current system is open to a significant amount of fraud and abuse of the program. The money that is wasted on this abuse can be put to better use in protecting the farmer.

Next year, Congress will likely consider improving the current crop insurance program. This year alone, the Agriculture Committee I sit on has held three hearings on crop insurance with an eye on improving the program. I will work with my colleagues to ensure we address many of the system’s short comings. Among other provisions, I will work to expand crop insurance to include coverage for all farm operations, not just the crop, for enhanced revenue protection.

As a farmer, I know how difficult it can be when a disaster wrecks the crop. Farmers have become all too familiar with being at the mercy of Mother Nature. I will continue to do everything in my power to bring needed relief to the farmers and ranchers of Missouri.