Cooperatives council chief, a former deputy ag secretary, says new Farm Bill not likely this year

All that talk about getting a new Farm Bill passed this year is largely wishful thinking, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives President Chuck Conner, deputy agriculture secretary in 2005-09, told the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce in Illinois, Don Dodson of The News-Gazette reports. (N-G photo by Vanda Bidwill)

"Political gridlock and a presidential election year make the prospect unlikely," Dodson writes, paraphrasing Conner. "Plus, "staggering" budget realities — underscored by the failure of the congressional 'supercommittee' to come up with a budget compromise — complicate the situation, he said. . . . Conner said not only are congressional Republicans and Democrats at odds with each other, but there are intra-party squabbles among House and Senate members. Even agricultural lobbying groups can't seem to agree on a direction."

With the exception of cotton and rice, most major commodity groups have the same general goals, such as greater emphasis on crop insurance to replace direct payments, Conner said, "but their methods to get there have never been more different than they are today." (Read more)