Farm Bill Update - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Farmers, ranchers and Ag groups across the nation are weighing in on getting a farm bill passed NOW.

US Cattleman's Association President Jess Peterson is an active voice on capitol hill for local ranchers.

Peterson says while the House did pass a 1 year extension before it's August recess, that's not enough.

He says the bill that passed the Senate needs to be passed now. 

(Jess Peterson / USCA President) "Farmers and ranchers are hurting right now and we've got a historic drought, just a historic drought. I'm driving all over the place, seeing these burned up corn fields, seeing these burned up rangelands it's not a good deal. Cattle are going to town at record numbers. They are weaning at low weights. We have a provision in this farm bill, a permanent disaster provision that assists with these livestock that are being lost because of the drought that assists with to buy hay, the fires, my family is fighting fires in eastern Montana, there are provisions there to help with fencing and livestock that gets lost. "

Peterson is optimistic that a farm bill will be passed, but says the best thing producers can do is contact their congressmen to relay the importance of getting this bill passed.

(Jess Peterson / USCA President)"We think that we have an opportunity. But we are not going to do a victory lap at all. We are going to say all hands on deck. These congressmen going back to the districts they gotta hear. It's important because it's part of that relationship. They have to hear so they can go back and say, look I hear in north Dakota this is what's going on. I heard in South Dakota and Nebraska. And these stories need to be real and need to be delivered so that we do have that pressure to mount. "

The current Farm bill expires on September 30th.