Farm bill still weeks away as drought worsens - KOTA Territory News

Farm bill still weeks away as drought worsens

Drought conditions continue to worsen in the Dakotas.

The latest U.S. drought monitor map shows 96 percent of South Dakota is mired in some form of drought, up more than 4 percent over the week.

Nearly 88 percent of North Dakota is in drought, up about 7 percent.

Federal agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack this week announced nearly $12 million in additional aid for 22 states, including South Dakota, to help farmers and ranchers apply conservation practices that reduce the impacts of drought.

But those drought conditions are the cause of uncertainty for members of the agriculture industry who will now have to wait a little longer to see if a new farm bill will be in place by the end of the year.

South Dakota Rep. Kristi Noem said no vote is scheduled for the floor this week, and it now looks like the issue will be taken up after the election cycle.

She said she will continue to push for signatures from members of the house from both parties to sign a "discharge petition."

Such a petition will bypass leadership and force a vote on the floor.

Noem said the top priority for this farm bill is crop insurance, which will provide a safety net for producers and help them manage risk when putting crops in the ground.

"I keep talking about the fact that this isn't just farm policy and farm programs, this is our food supply," said Noem. "And the fact that we have a viable ag industry in this country makes certain that every single family in this country has affordable food on their plate."
 
Democratic challenger Matt Varilek argues Noem has not done enough to push for the farm bill in Congress, citing that none of 92 freshmen members have signed the petition.

Noem responded by saying she is focusing on the bill and will not make this a political issue.