Sioux City Times

Last week, U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra of Hull collaborated with U.S. Representative Trent Kelly to introduce new legislation aimed at providing financial relief for American farmers. The initiative comes in response to the challenges posed by low commodity prices and rising input costs.

Representative Feenstra criticized the current administration, stating, "President Biden and Vice President Harris approved trillions of dollars in reckless government spending that sent inflation skyrocketing and have completely failed to open new export markets for our producers." He further elaborated on the economic difficulties faced by farmers: "This one-two punch helped cause interest rates and input costs to rise significantly while a lack of demand for American-made agricultural products across the globe has exacerbated our low commodity prices."

The proposed legislation, known as the FARM Act, aims to support farmers by directing the Secretary of Agriculture to provide emergency assistance payments. These payments are intended to address the financial imbalance caused by high operating costs and persistent inflation.

Feenstra emphasized the importance of passing this legislation alongside the Farm Bill, which seeks to increase reference prices for key commodities such as corn and soybeans. "We must pass this legislation in conjunction with the Farm Bill – which includes an increase in reference prices for commodities like corn and soybeans – to provide certainty and support for our farm families," he stated.