Reps. Craig and Feenstra Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Crop and Livestock Insurance for New, Beginning and Veteran Farmers and Producers

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN) and Randy Feenstra (R-IA) recently introduced the Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act to bolster crop and livestock insurance protections for new, beginning and veteran farmers and producers.

The bill would align the definition of “beginning farmer” to match most other beginning-farmer programs, extending crop and livestock insurance protections to 10 years. This increase from the current definition of five to 10 years would apply to all federal crop insurance programs, including livestock policies.

“New, beginning and veteran farmers rely on farm safety net programs like crop insurance to get their feet underneath them and build successful operations,” said Rep. Craig. “I’m proud of the bipartisan work Rep. Feenstra and I are doing to support new and beginning farmers and implement commonsense policies that will help generations of family farmers not only survive but thrive.”

“To keep our farmland in the hands of Iowa farmers and away from China and our foreign adversaries, we need to cut operating costs for our young and beginning farmers so that they can grow, compete, and succeed – instead of calling it quits because of financial barriers,” Rep. Feenstra said. “That’s why I introduced the Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act to lower the cost of crop insurance for the next generation of Iowa farmers during their first ten years in operation – the most vulnerable of any business. This relief will help our young producers plant their roots in our rural communities, promote farm profitability, and strengthen Iowa’s status as the breadbasket to the world.”

As the top Democrat on the House Committee on Agriculture, Rep. Craig has been a champion for new and beginning farmers in Minnesota and across the country. Rep. Craig recently introduced the bipartisan Producer and Agricultural Credit Enhancement (PACE) Act alongside Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN) to improve agricultural producers’ access to credit. This legislation would modernize current limits on the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Ownership and Operating loans, enacted through the 2018 Farm Bill.

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Thune (R-SD) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

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