The National Farmers Union has sent a letter to Congressional leadership emphasizing the need to address agricultural economic hardships in the 2018 Farm Bill. Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen says funding for the long term needs to be provided to help farmers and ranchers harmed by the Trade War and tariff destruction., rather than the rescue package put out by the USDA.

He says their national group compiled the economic impacts of the tariffs and found it was higher than estimated by the Trump Administration.

Hansen says besides the long term funding mechanism needed to overcome the tariff destruction, Congress must put in the farm bill a better funding plan to help farmers and ranchers.

Hansen says his group feels that paying farmers small, one time payments is woefully inadequate to keep farmers in business and a long term safety net is imperative.