A Dispute Over the Commodity Title

n an interview with the Red River Farm Network, Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow said significant issues remain in the farm bill process. “One of them really impacts the Dakotas and Minnesota and that’s the commodity title,” said Stabenow. “I understand the (agriculture committee) chairman in the House is from west Texas and wants to a bill that works for the South, but it takes tens of millions of dollars away from farmers in the Midwest.” Stabenow said she can respect differences of opinion, but (Chairman Michael) Conaway has politicized the farm bill process. “Cotton prices are up 20 percent and everyone else is down 50 percent. We just can’t do a political play that rewrites the commodity title for southern farmers ‘just because.’ We have to have a farm safety net that works.” Stabenow remains optimistic the farm bill can be completed this year.