The House Agriculture Committee has been holding hearings already to get input on the 2012 Farm Bill.

Last week, the committee heard from representatives of major agricultural organizations about farm safety net programs. Among those testifying was Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson on behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation, who noted that farmers in every state rely in some way on the economic safety net provided in the 2008 farm bill, but which programs are judged most beneficial depends largely on a farmer’s crop and region.

“While our farmers are generally supportive of the safety net provided in the 2008 farm bill, it can sometimes feel like you’re reading the old children’s story ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ when you talk to individual farmers about their experiences with farm programs,” Nelson testified. “Some farmers think the safety net coverage provided under the 2008 farm bill is ‘just right.’ But in other cases and for other farmers the coverage is sometimes too little. In a small number of cases, the coverage may even be duplicative and too much.”

Acknowledging that the 2012 farm bill will be written in a difficult budget environment, Nelson said AFBF believes that five key principles should be followed during the rewrite process – that the options be fiscally responsible; that the basic funding structure of the 2008 farm bill should not be altered; that proposals will aim to benefit all agricultural sectors; that world trade rulings should be considered; and that consideration be given to the stable business environment that is critical to success in agriculture.

Read Nelson’s testimony or watch a video of it on the AFBF website.