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Sen. Nelson: new farm bill is important to Nebraska's number one industry

 

Nebraska's senior U.S. Senator says a new farm bill making its way through the Senate is good for the Cornhusker State.

Senator Ben Nelson's comments came late last week before a 90-to-8 vote to move the farm bill to debate. The measure would end the direct payment program, and streamline other services.

Nelson says the legislation is important to Nebraska's agriculture industry.” We're number one in production of many commodities, from red meat to great northern beans, second in the nation in production of ethanol, pumping more than two billion gallons of this homegrown fuel in to our energy supply each year, our productive farmers and ranchers in Nebraska make us fifth in the nation in agriculture receipts, while nearly one-third of all Nebraska jobs are related to agriculture. It's our number one industry.”

Senator Mike Johanns, a former U.S. Agriculture Secretary, is also backing the farm bill. 

Both Senators believe the legislation shifts the focus on to crop insurance, which Nelson and Johanns believe is most beneficial to Nebraska ag producers.