Despite reports that high hopes are fading for a farm bill yet this year, agriculture industry representatives at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting last week were cautiously optimistic that the end is yet in sight. “I think progress is being made and I’m still confident that we’re going to get something before the end of the year,” said Mary Kay Thatcher with the American Farm Bureau Federation. [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/nafb/nafb13-afbf-thatcher.mp3″ text=”Interview with Mary Kay Thatcher, AFBF”]
“Last year when I was here I predicted that by the end of the year we’d have a farm bill and I’m going to make that prediction again,” said National Farmers Union president Roger Johnson. [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/nafb/nafb13-nfu-johnson.mp3″ text=”Interview with Roger Johnson, NFU”]
National Corn Growers Association president Martin Barbre says they are still hopeful. “We’re pressing every day, working with our friends in Congress,” the Illinois grower said. “We got it to conference, that’s a step forward!” [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/nafb/nafb13-ncga-barbre.mp3″ text=”Interview with Martin Barbre, NCGA”]
American Soybean Association board member Ray Gaesser of Iowa says they are also pleased to see some progress. “We’ve been working on the 2012 farm bill for more than three years,” he said. “But we are encouraged that it has at least come to conference.” [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/nafb/nafb13-asa-gasser.mp3″ text=”Interview with Ray Gasser, ASA”]
The other ASA, the American Sugar Alliance, is watching the farm bill progress very carefully because it is so critical to their industry. “The farm bill is .. our one, two and three most important priorities that we deal with,” said chairman Ryan Weston. “We’ll just keep working with all the other farm organizations and members of Congress to try to get a farm bill done by the end of the year.” [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/nafb/nafb13-sugar-weston.mp3″ text=”Interview with Ryan Weston, American Sugar Alliance”]
The National Sorghum Producers chairman J.B. Stewart of Oklahoma is hoping this process is finally coming to an end. “I think both sides of the aisle are definitely ready to get this behind them,” he said. “We certainly are.” [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/nafb/nafb13-sorghum.mp3″ text=”Interview with J.B. Stewart and Tim Lust, NSP”]
National Association of Wheat Growers president Bing Von Bergen hopes the conference committee puts partisan politics aside. “When they’re in conference they need to reach across the table and say … let’s meet in the middle. And we believe that will happen.” [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/nafb/nafb-13-nawg-vonbergen.MP3″ text=”Interview with Bing Von Bergen, NAWG”]
2013 NAFB Convention Photo Album
