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 e-Newsletter
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Without a new five year farm bill, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois says the federal government won't be able to help drought-stricken Midwest farmers much. Durbin met with farmers and agribusiness representatives outside Bloomington and said too many farmers will only have crop insurance to help them since lawmakers failed to reach a deal on a new farm bill prior to the August recess: "Those that had the wisdom to buy crop insurance are going to be here to fight another day,” Durbin says.
“Some others who didn't may not. Really, that's the starting point. You have to say farmers need to accept the responsibility and I understand over 80% of them have."
Durbin says disaster relief measures were crafted in the Senate version of the farm bill, which Durbin says passed with bipartisan support. He criticizes his house counterparts for eyeing a short-term measure Durbin says would not be much help. Kendall Miller manages the Yuton Grain Elevator west of Normal. He says he expects to get about half the grain brought in during a typical harvest. Miller says the ripple effect will impact the propane and trucking industries and other aspects of the economy well into next year. |
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