North Dakota Senator John Hoeven has introduced the Federal Agriculture Risk Management Enhancement and Resilience or FARMER Act. In Hoeven’s view, this proposal puts the farm back into the farm bill. “That means we’ve got enhanced crop insurance, which is exactly what this bill does and we have to strengthen the countercyclical safety net, ARC and PLC.” The FARMER Act increases premium support, allowing farmers to buy up for higher levels of coverage. It expands the Supplemental Coverage Option and delivers flexibility for participating in the ARC and PLC programs. “It doesn’t only benefit farmers, it benefits taxpayers. For a fraction of the cost of what you’re going to do in ad hoc disaster bills you have the kind of coverage that farmers need and know that they can count on.”
