Crop Insurance Today September 2017 - 1

C r o p I n s u r a n c e

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"...Every step you take...
every move you make...
I'll be watching you..."
Tom Zacharias, NCIS President

"The federal crop insurance
program has been and
continues to be farmers'
most important risk
management tool."
-David Schemm

I recently participated in an organized symposium sponsored by the Agricultural and Applied
Economics Association (AAEA). The symposium, which was held July 31-August 2 in Chicago, was
entitled "Crop Insurance: Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Crop Insurance Industry." To put my
remarks in context, I substituted "challenge" for "obstacle" and drew from the work of Nicolla Machiavelli: "...Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle
and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage."
The quote is a bit foreboding when one considers the source; however, it does tend to crystalize
the juxtaposition between challenge and opportunity and the current state of affairs of our industry.

"Doctor my eyes, tell me what you see..."

As this issue of Today® goes to press, attention is turning front and center to the farm bill debate. At
the recent Senate hearing in Washington, D.C., on July 25, 2017, Senator McConnell from Kentucky
told Chairman Roberts he'd like to see the farm bill "...sooner rather than later." Not long thereafter, at
a field hearing in San Angelo, Texas, Chairman Conaway of the House Agriculture Committee stated
he wanted to expedite the farm bill process. Borrowing from an old Jackson Browne tune -"Doctor
my eyes ...tell me what you see..." I could not help but reflect upon what people are seeing and what
people are saying about crop insurance these days. Here are just a few of the quotes taken from the
recent Senate hearing:
"When producers put seeds in the ground, they do not expect a hail storm to hit right as they are ready
to harvest their crops. They would much rather reap the benefits of their hard work in the marketplace
than receive an indemnity. The last farm bill made significant changes, and unlike previous policies, today's commodity programs - like crop insurance - are triggered only when there is a loss." -Senator Pat
Roberts (R-KS), Chairman, Senate Ag Committee
"I have fought to expand and strengthen crop insurance for all farmers, from expanding coverage to
specialty crop growers, organic producers, and beginning farmers, to providing a whole-farm option for
diversified farms." -Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ranking Member, Senate Ag Committee
"The federal crop insurance program has been and continues to be farmers' most important risk management tool." -David Schemm, president of the National Association of Wheat Growers
"Farmers, their lenders, input suppliers and other stakeholders agree that crop insurance protection
should remain a viable, affordable tool for managing risk." -Nick McMichen, National Cotton Council
Continued on page 20

CROPINSURANCE TODAY®

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crop Insurance Today September 2017
