The four subcommittee leaders charged with finding a compromise on the federal Farm Bill are scheduled to meet tomorrow, just ten days before a Dec. 13 deadline to reach a compromise.
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer hopes Washington leaders will go beyond just renewing the status quo by removing counter-cyclical payments for grain-based subsidies which help shore up the market if farmers don't meet their predicted yields.
"The part in the farm bill that covers cyclical payments is the part that's made members of congress hesitant to event vote on the Farm Bill," Comer said. "I've made the argument that I think those could be removed with this economy that we've had, with this year that we've had. Yields have been outstanding."
In addition to crop insurance, the farm bill includes the language for the food stamp program, or SNAP, and agricultural research money for universities like UK.
Comer thinks a compromise that will reduce spending won't be reached during this session.
