Pass A Farm Bill
Floor Speech
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Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, 6 years ago, farmers and ranchers across Kansas faced drought conditions that crippled crops, dried ponds, and forced livestock owners to abandon pastures. In the years since, rain has fallen and conditions returned to normal, but drought conditions have once again struck Kansas, leaving many counties across my district dry and worried.
Ranchers in the Flint Hills of Kansas are finding themselves short of water and grass for their cattle, while farmers in central Kansas watch corn and soybean plants shrivel under the unrelenting heat. Some counties are nearly 15 inches behind normal rainfall totals, with many under extreme drought declaration.
All of this on top of low commodity prices and market uncertainty strains operating budgets and pushes farmer suicide rates to more than double that of the general population. That is right, Mr. Speaker, our farmer suicide rates are more than double that of the general population.
Unfortunately, the impacts do not stop at the farm gate. When production agriculture suffers, so do the communities our producers call home and the companies that support the agriculture industry. The drought really does impact us all.
Earlier this month, I visited Connie and Joe Mushrush's Red Angus Ranch in Chase County, Kansas. They showed me their vacant pastures and dry ponds, and admitted this drought was one of the worst their family has ever endured. They are not alone, as I hear stories of farmers and ranchers all across the district struggling to find solutions and options for their crops and cattle.
While I cannot deliver the rain many of us pray for, I can help to bring a level of certainty and support to my farmers and ranchers through final passage of the 2018 farm bill. I have worked hard, alongside my Agriculture Committee colleagues, to write and pass legislation that continues crop insurance and conservation programs that help producers operate their farms and ranches more efficiently.
Farmers never want a handout, but in trying times like these, it is essential that we support those who put food on our table with a safety net that we can all count on. I will continue to do all I can to support my farmers and ranchers, and I ask that my colleagues say a prayer for rain and for the men and women who feed us all.
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