USDA officials are working to implement the 2014 farm bill. Included in that is a change to the Crop Insurance program which asks producers to make decisions and is somewhat complicated. American Soybean Association President and Iowa farmer Ray Gaesser says they’re doing a good job in working the implementation and are making progress.
Another important part of the farm bill implementation that has created friction between House Ag Chair Frank Lucas and Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack involves the new part of the legislation that would allow farmers to update their Actual Production History to eliminate their worst yield years. Lucas wants it done soon while Vilsack says it can’t be done this year. Gaesser says he’s happy USDA is working on it.
Once the new part of the farm bill is implemented on APH, it would let farmers exclude years where their yields are more than 50 percent below the 10 year county average.