Work Continues for South Dakota Farmers and Ranchers

It’s harvest season in South Dakota, and once again combines are rolling across fields to bring in this year’s crop. Farmers work hard all year, but harvest time really shows their strength and work ethic, and I’m grateful to the South Dakota farmers who are working overtime out in the field. I know that times have been tough for farmers and ranchers. I hear it from South Dakota producers as I travel around our state. They have had to face headwinds from higher input costs, depressed commodity prices, and uncertainty in their supply chains, not to mention natural disasters. When Republicans passed the landmark Working Families Tax Cuts last year, farmers and ranchers were top of mind. In addition to tax relief that benefits agriculture producers, this bill also made significant improvements to many of the programs that farmers and ranchers depend on. It bolstered crop insurance, raised reference prices for every covered commodity, and strengthened livestock disaster assistance programs. This year, farmers are seeing the results of this bill, especially as commodity program payments go out for the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs. Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts strengthening the farm safety net and raising reference prices, South Dakota producers will see a significant increase in payments from these two programs. The Working Families Tax Cuts was significant, but it’s not the end of our work. Advancing a farm bill remains an important priority. In September, the Senate Agriculture Committee reported out a farm bill, and it now awaits consideration by the full Senate. This bill contains a number of important priorities for South Dakota producers. It includes measures I’ve authored to increase transparency in fertilizer markets, strengthen smaller meat processors, and reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling for beef. And this farm bill also allows for the permanent, year-round sale of E15 fuel, which would help South Dakota producers and contribute to lower fuel costs nationwide. Agriculture is the lifeblood of South Dakota, and this time of year you can really see it. Farmers aren’t done when they bring in the harvest and fill their bins; there’s always more work to do. Our work in Congress continues as well, and I’m hopeful that we’ll get a farm bill across the finish line soon.