Tri-County News

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator John Thune (R-SD) introduced the Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act. This bipartisan legislation would help beginning farmers and veterans receive more affordable crop insurance protections by extending the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development program eligibility from five years to 10 years. The Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act will align the beginning farmers crop insurance programs with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) other beginning farmer programs.

“New farmers are essential to ensuring the future of farming and the success of our food production system but, even under the best of circumstances, starting a farm means taking on a great deal of risk. Our legislation will help support these new farmers by ensuring that they have access to affordable crop insurance,” Klobuchar said. “Extending the already successful Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development program will provide needed certainty to farmers as they continue to build their farms and grow their businesses.”

“Investing in future generations of farmers and ranchers is critical to growing South -Dakota’s agriculture economy and supporting rural communities,” said Thune. “Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net, and I’m proud to lead this legislation that would improve its effectiveness for beginning farmers and ranchers by providing more affordable options during their first 10 years of operation.”

Klobuchar has worked extensively to support farmers.

In February, Klobuchar highlighted the importance of crop insurance programs at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill.

In 2020, Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-MN) secured extensions for crop insurance policies during the COVID-19.

In 2019, Klobuchar and Smith announced deferral of accrual of interest on 2019 crop year insurance premiums to support farmers affected by recent flooding and extreme weather.