GREENWOOD, Miss.–Farmers in the Delta need a safety net and they need it now, said Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith in a meeting this week in Washington, of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.
She said that while some assistance has been offered, a more permanent means for Mississippi farmers to receive such assistance should be built into a new Farm Bill.
“I just want to say this to everybody in the room – Congress needs to address the outdated and inadequate farm safety net during the budget reconciliation process. There are a lot of farmers in Mississippi and across this country who are not going to be able to continue unless we do address this. It is so concerning for me,” she said.
“Addressing one aspect of the Farm Bill – SNAP – in reconciliation, without making improvements to the farm safety net, will make it extremely difficult to pass a Farm Bill.”
So far the Emergency Commodity Assistance program has provided about $117 million to Mississippi farmers.
But, that’s not a new Farm Bill. Hyde-Smith is seeking assurance that any new bill would deliver much more assistance, in the billions rather than millions, saying some farmers will go belly-up, if that does not happen.
“American farmers, as you well know, desperately want a new and improved Farm Bill, and I think it’s our job to improve the Farm Bill. So, let’s give that to them by addressing the safety net in reconciliation. I can’t scream that enough,” she said.
Hyde-Smith also serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee that is assigned to craft the ag-related portion of a budget reconciliation package, the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” sought by President Trump.
