(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra says the prospects for passage of a five-year Farm Bill are positive — after the election.
If no action is taken before the end of the year, the federal farm policies in place decades ago will go into effect — meaning farmers will not get federal crop insurance subsidies, for example. Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, says key lawmakers have been meeting over the last few months and he has great hope congress will pass the Farm Bill in November or December.
Ryan Melton of Webster City, the Democrat who’s running against Feenstra, says he agrees the government needs to provide subsidies to farmers, but he says the Farm Bill needs to address water quality. Melton says with the significant increase in large-scale livestock operations in Iowa, it’s time to consider federal regulations on how much manure and other farm chemicals can be applied to cropland.
