Peace Garden News

At a recent Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, Senator John Hoeven engaged with U.S. agriculture industry leaders to discuss priorities for farm country. The session featured testimony from representatives of key agricultural sectors such as soybean, sugarbeet, wheat, corn, and barley—crops vital to North Dakota's economy.

Senator Hoeven emphasized the need for a robust farm bill that strengthens the farm safety net. He advocated for improving crop insurance affordability through his FARMER Act and updating reference prices under the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.

The senator also highlighted the importance of enhancing access to foreign markets for U.S. farmers and ranchers. He noted that during President Trump's first term, trade policies like tariffs helped remove market barriers in countries such as China, Canada, and Mexico. "Our discussion in the Senate Agriculture Committee this week made two things perfectly clear – we need to invest in the farm safety net and producers need better access to free and fair markets," said Hoeven.

Hoeven introduced Josh Gackle at the hearing, recognizing him as Chairman of the American Soybean Association and a resident of Kulm, North Dakota. Gackle was among several witnesses who shared their insights on behalf of their respective organizations.

Other notable participants included Zippy Duval from the American Farm Bureau Federation, Rob Larew from the National Farmers Union, Tim Deal from the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, Keeff Felty from the National Association of Wheat Growers, and Chris Engelstad from the National Barley Growers Association.