Former NRCS chiefs endorse conservation compliance for crop insurance
November 12, 2013 | 06:18 PM
Seven former chiefs of the Agriculture Department’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Soil Conservation Service have endorsed requiring farmers who get subsidized federal crop insurance to meet federal conservation standards. They also opposed reducing crop insurance premium subsidies for high-income farmers.
“As you take steps to modernize our farm safety net, we urge you to make sure that compliance provisions cover all income support, including eligibility for crop and revenue insurance premium subsidies,” the seven former chiefs wrote in a letter sent to congressional farm leaders today.
“We also encourage you to provide incentives to actually lower the cost of crop insurance to producers who use conservation practices the secretary determines to provide resilience to weather events,” the letter says.
“We believe such an incentive would lead to increased adoption of conservation and result in savings to the Treasury as fewer claims would have to be paid out. Further, to ensure the widest participation possible, we believe crop insurance should continue to be available at the same cost to all producers regardless of income. Doing so will benefit farmers, the environment and all Americans going forward.”
“As you take steps to modernize our farm safety net, we urge you to make sure that compliance provisions cover all income support, including eligibility for crop and revenue insurance premium subsidies,” the seven former chiefs wrote in a letter sent to congressional farm leaders today.
“We also encourage you to provide incentives to actually lower the cost of crop insurance to producers who use conservation practices the secretary determines to provide resilience to weather events,” the letter says.
“We believe such an incentive would lead to increased adoption of conservation and result in savings to the Treasury as fewer claims would have to be paid out. Further, to ensure the widest participation possible, we believe crop insurance should continue to be available at the same cost to all producers regardless of income. Doing so will benefit farmers, the environment and all Americans going forward.”
