Farmers face uncertainty with the Farm Bill expired causing difficult times

Hillsboro, TX (FOX 44) — The absence of a Farm Bill has made life unpredictable for farmers and ranchers, leaving them with no safety net.

“There’s too much uncertainty and makes it difficult to plan. It makes it difficult right now to continue forward not knowing what those programs are,” says Communications Director for Texas Farm Bureau, Gary Joiner.

Not only are farmers dealing with low commodity prices and high inputs, but they are also dealing with extreme disasters.

Back in May and June, Central Texas farmer Rodney Schronk lost critical revenue due to 30 inches of rain flooding his crops out.

“In our situation where we lost a crop and we have low prices. The prices were set in the old Farm Bill years ago when a tractor costs $200,000 and today a tractor cost half a million dollars,” says Hill County Farmer, Rodney Schronk.

It’s not just his land that has been affected, land that Schronk has inherited and tends for local families has also been impacted.

“We have a lot of older ladies whose husbands have passed away and left this land as part of their retirement. They’re benefiting from a Farm Bill and they’re benefiting from the disaster assistance, but they’re also suffering,” says Schronk.

Farmers make up just a little over one percent of the overall national population. Meaning not only do they need to feed themselves, but they also need to feed the other 99 percent of Americans.

“You only get one chance to grow your food a year for the most part, and that becomes a national security issue to me. If we have to depend on another country, for our food supply, we become very vulnerable,” says Schronk.

The Texas Farmers Bureau says it’s time for Congress to take action and pass a new Farm Bill to help with disaster assistance and economic situations.

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