Hearings for 2018 Farm Bill Take Place in Michigan

(Ag Web) –  Over the weekend, agriculture caught the attention of lawmakers during the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill field hearing in Michigan.

Chairman Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) heard testimony from producers and leading ag officials.

Some of the key points at the hearing include the possibility of increasing funds for the 2018 Farm Bill, how well crop insurance safety nets are working, international development, and a reliable ag workforce.

“Labor continues to be our number one issue on our farm,” said Chris Alpers, a grower at Redpath Orchards in Lake Leelanau, Mich. “There is no insurance, no labor. The solution for this problem must come sooner versus later. I’ve witnessed crops wasting away on trees because the producer wasn’t able to secure a domestic workforce.”

Stabenow said in the state of Michigan, agriculture is the second largest industry, supporting one out of four jobs.