The below statement was issued by the American Association of Crop Insurers (AACI), the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB), the Crop Insurance Professionals Association (CIPA), the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA), the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA), and the National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) following the release of the farm bill conference report:
“Farmers and ranchers have seen their fair share of challenges in 2018 – from hurricanes, drought and wildfires to depressed commodity prices. The farm bill conference committee took a huge step today in helping rural America cope with these challenges by releasing a bipartisan package. We urge Congress to pass the Farm Bill immediately.
The 2018 Farm Bill maintains a strong crop insurance system because lawmakers knew that agriculture’s top risk management tool would be needed during these difficult times. They ensured that private-sector crop insurance would remain affordable and widely available for producers despite attempts by opponents of crop insurance to weaken this critical component of the farm safety net.
We applaud the leaders and members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, and the farm bill conferees, for crafting a comprehensive piece of legislation that has earned the backing of the agricultural community. We also thank our customers, who told lawmakers from Day 1 that protecting crop insurance was a top priority throughout this process.
Once Congress passes the new farm bill, we ask that the president quickly sign it into law, so America’s farmers and ranchers will have some certainty heading into the new year.”