At the National Association of Farm Broadcaster’s Washington Watch event in Washington, D.C., the group of farm broadcasters had the chance to talk with Senator Roger Marshall. Farm Director KC Sheperd is featuring comments from the Kansas Republican talking about farm bill education, nutrition, and crop insurance.
As farmers and ranchers are businessmen and businesswomen, Marshall said they need up-to-date reports.
“You cannot give a farmer or rancher too much information,” Marshall said.
Marshall said he sees the challenges regarding how the EPA is slow to adopt chemistry and new technology. It is important for producers to keep the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) up to date for their own benefit, he added.
“There are three carbon sinks out there, right, three big carbon sinks,” Roger Marshall said. “The ocean, trees, and soil. So, if you want me to continue to no-till farm on our ranch, then we need these chemicals to do that. I just don’t think many people with EPA understand that you have to trade one for the other and see which is the maximum benefit. So, that is what we need to be sharing is that part of the story.”
One of Marshall’s biggest frustrations, he said, is that the USDA scientists are not receiving the respect they deserve.
“The EPA is not listening to them, is not listening to our Secretary of Agriculture who is fighting for us,” Marshall said.
The main priority of many large ag groups, Marshall said, is crop insurance.
“You just don’t live in Kansas and not have any experience to loss yourselves,” Marshall said.
The beauty of the farm bill, Marshall said, is that it allows Americans to have affordable, reliable, safe food for generations. Americans have the luxury of paying close to 20 percent less than many other nations for groceries, he added, because of crop insurance.
“That is the number one priority out here from everybody,” Marshall said. “I think that most people in the ag committee get that. I think it is important that we communicate that to other people, but again, realizing crop insurance is such a small part of this big budget here.”
Marshall also talked about the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) and how to hold everyone accountable. One common misconception, Marshall said, is that the biggest trade partner of the U.S. is China.
“Our number one ag trade partners are Canada and Mexico,” Marshall said. “If we give an inch, they are going to take a mile.”
As the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack stands up and fights the issue with GMO corn, Marshall said, those continued efforts are critical.
“Everyone wants America to feed the world,” Marshall said. “One of the ways we do that is through GMO corn.”
