Several organizations within the crop insurance industry were not happy with President Trump’s proposed budget cuts announcement this week. The budget included steep spending cuts at the Department of Agriculture and to the federal crop insurance programs.
However, the American Association of Crop Insurers, the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau, along with many other organizations issued a statement saying they were disappointed with the crop insurance cuts. “Those proposed cuts come just months after the importance of crop insurance was reaffirmed by the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill,” the groups said in a joint statement. “If this shortsighted proposal would be adopted, it would seriously undermine a critical safety net for farmers when they need it most.”
National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson was in agreement. “There’s a real disconnect between the president’s priorities and the economic realities facing family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities,” says Johnson. “Rather than undermine the 2018 Farm Bill by proposing cuts to important programs, the President should be working to build on that success by providing additional needed support to family farmers and ranchers.”
