Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Congressman Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) issued a statement last week calling for cooperation during the farm bill conference committee that began this week.

“It seems to be a rarity these days when two members of Congress from different political parties are able to come together on an important issue such as the Farm Bill, but we have found common ground. We believe the farm bill conference must produce a bill that provides common sense, market-based resources that ensure economic stability for farmers and savings for taxpayers.”

In the statement, both Sen. Brown and Rep. Gibbs outlined their priorities for the conference, and cited the concerns raised by ASA and other farm groups about the potential for distortions in the House-advocated Price Loss Coverage (PLC) Program in Title I of the bill:

“The PLC program, created by the House bill, would undermine provisions of the Senate-passed bill that tie farm payments to planted acres, instead of the historic base acre calculation. PLC could create inverse incentives for farmers to plant for the program instead of listening to the market. This proposal would drive farmers to overplant the crop that would give the highest guaranteed price. We want a Farm Bill that will provide farmers with the risk management tools they need without distorting market forces,” Brown and Gibbs said.

For a full copy of the release, please click here.