WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, recently spoke to Ohio farmers at the Ohio Farm Bureau breakfast in Washington, D.C. The Senator spoke about his priorities for the 2018 Farm Bill, which he will help craft as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. He’s the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in four decades.
“As we begin to work on the 2018 Farm Bill, I remain committed to ensuring that all sectors of our agricultural economy are set up to thrive,” said Brown. “Corn, soybean, wheat farmers are all facing smaller margins, and with farm income projected to drop nine percent this year compared to last – it’s times like these that remind us how important safety net programs and crop insurance are. My office has also heard from our dairy farmers who are dealing with a similarly tough market. We need to update these program to address the needs of dairy farmers in the next Farm Bill.”
He also pledged to work with President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, if he is confirmed.
“For USDA to work like it should, leadership needs to be in place, the agency needs to be properly funded, and there must be strong Midwestern voices at the table, said Brown. “You can be sure that when Governor Perdue has his confirmation hearing, I will make sure he knows that Ohio agriculture needs to have that voice.”
