Central ND News

At a recent Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, Senator John Hoeven engaged with U.S. agriculture industry leaders to discuss key priorities for farm country. The hearing featured testimony from representatives of the soybean, sugarbeet, wheat, corn, and barley industries—crops that are vital to North Dakota's agricultural economy.

Senator Hoeven emphasized the importance of passing a robust farm bill that invests in the farm safety net. This includes enhancing crop insurance affordability through initiatives like Hoeven’s FARMER Act and updating reference prices under the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.

Hoeven also highlighted the need to improve access to foreign markets for U.S. farmers and ranchers. He noted how former President Trump used trade policies such as tariffs to dismantle market barriers in countries like China, Canada, and Mexico. The senator pointed out ongoing efforts by the current administration to build on this progress with negotiations involving Canada and Mexico.

"Our discussion in the Senate Agriculture Committee this week made two things perfectly clear – we need to invest in the farm safety net and producers need better access to free and fair markets," said Hoeven. "The reality is that the reference prices under ARC and PLC do not reflect the cost of production and need to be updated, while enhancing the affordability of crop insurance will ensure our farmers can recover from natural disasters and challenging markets, mitigating the need for future ad hoc assistance."

Witnesses at the hearing included Zippy Duval, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation; Rob Larew, President of the National Farmers Union; Josh Gackle, Chairman of the American Soybean Association; Tim Deal, Vice President of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association; Keeff Felty, President of the National Association of Wheat Growers; and Chris Engelstad, President of the National Barley Growers Association.

Senator Hoeven introduced Josh Gackle at the hearing, highlighting his extensive experience in crop production and advocacy for fellow farmers.