As Congress prepares to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the farm bill, the American Bankers Association joined a broad coalition of financial, agricultural and other trade associations in a letter to congressional leaders urging them to finalize the bill ahead of the current farm bill’s expiration on Sept. 30.
“As you well know, the farm and rural economy is under significant financial stress,” the groups wrote. “Farmers and ranchers and the rural communities and agribusinesses that depend on agricultural production need a strong and predictable safety net that includes important risk management tools such as crop insurance to weather these difficult economic times. They cannot afford a short-term extension.”