House Votes to Strengthen Crop InsuranceBill helps farmers and ranchers protect against losses
Washington, DC,
September 29, 1999
The Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 1999 strengthens the farm safety net by making crop insurance more accessible to growers of all crops. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-TX) said this major reform effort reduces the need for producer dependence on Congress to cobble together improvised and costly disaster assistance packages. "This is Phase One of Congress' commitment to provide our nation's farmers with the strong safety net they need," said Combest. "Producers already struggle more than enough to meet the uncertainties of markets and weather, but it is too much to ask that they struggle year after year without the means to manage their risk through an effective crop insurance program. Making federal crop insurance affordable and effective is sound policy." "The changes in crop insurance contained in H.R. 2559 allow us time to review and develop a comprehensive look at our long-term farm policy," said Charlie Stenholm, the House Agriculture Committee's ranking minority member. Features of The Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 1999 Strengthens the farm safety net by making crop insurance more accessible to growers, reducing the need for unbudgeted ad hoc disaster assistance.
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