FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2017

Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600
hpackman@nfudc.org

WASHINGTON – The Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday approved its fiscal year (FY) 2018 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, which will guide funding for programs that support American agriculture, conservation, and nutrition programs.

The bill allocates $145.4 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding and includes provisions for cotton and dairy producers, both of whom have faced challenging economic circumstances in recent years. Specifically, the bill allows cotton producers to participate in the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program and reforms aspects of the Dairy Margin Protection Program (DMPP), which has failed to adequately support struggling dairy producers.

In response to the bill, National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson released the following statement:

I applaud the bipartisan efforts of the Senate Appropriations Committee to provide solutions for dairy and cotton producers, and am hopeful that they may finally see the relief they so desperately need. These farmers have been severely impacted by sustained low prices, and the current safety net has failed them. The improvements included in this bill are long overdue, and the first step of many to improve a broken program. We look forward to working with Congress to develop further reforms for the benefit of farmers.

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National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.

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