Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today released the following statement on Senate Republicans’ draft Farm Bill:
“America’s agriculture policy is broken — farmers can’t afford to farm, families can’t put food on the table, and rural communities have been left behind. Farmers in Vermont and across the nation create an immense amount of wealth, but they don’t get anything close to a fair share of it. Senate Republicans’ draft Farm Bill doesn’t meet the moment—it won’t provide the help farmers and families need.
“Thanks to the war in Iran, markets have closed and fertilizer and farm fuel prices are spiking. The cost of production per acre far exceeds the revenue per acre for corn, soybeans, wheat, peanuts, and rice—and production costs will only get worse in 2027. Specialty crops, dairy, and small family farms are struggling to survive. This draft bill does little to lower costs for rural Americans: It neglects to expand high-speed broadband, it doesn’t address rising energy costs, and it won’t help communities after a natural disaster.
“Historically, both parties have come together to both support farmers and the families they feed by funding nutrition assistance programs. Yet this bill fails to right the wrongs of Trump’s tax bill and continues to crush state budgets while threatening access to nutrition assistance. There are people who are hungry in red states, and there are people who are hungry in blue states—we need a Farm Bill that feeds America.
“I am pleased that this draft includes my policies to improve access to farmland and support Vermont’s sugar makers and maple industry. But, as written, this bill needs work. I will continue to work with my Republican colleagues to pass a multi-year, bipartisan Farm Bill. Together, we can help American farmers and rural communities.”
Welch serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee and is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit.
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Vermont Business Magazine