NDFU Reaction to Senate Passing Farm Bill - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

North Dakota Farmers Union applauds the Senate for passing a 2012 farm bill.

But that bill still needs approval from the House.

State Farmers Union President Woody Barth says, it's an important first step in securing a strong safety net and risk management protection for our family farmers and ranchers. 

The five-year, half-trillion-dollar farm bill cuts farm subsidies and land conservation spending by about $2 billion a year but largely protects sugar growers. 

Barth says it will be a greater challenge to get it passed through the House.

He says already there has been some delays---pushing work off until after the 4th of July. 

And there's more diverse interest in the House, but says this is still a very strong Farm Bill. 

(Woody Barth / NDFU President) "The Senate passed a strong Farm Bill, we are hopeful that something can be done yet on safety net provisions, we are very worried in times of price collapse that this farm bill that has passed the Senate doesn't go far enough and again, livestock competition title would be great for North Dakota livestock producers. 

Barth says Farmers Union will now work with the House of Representatives, and with both chambers of Congress to pass and complete a bill by the time the current farm bill expires on September 30th.