State Senator Patrick Joyce hosted a roundtable with Congresswoman Cheri Bustos along with other agriculture professionals to discuss future ag policy at the Illinois State Fair last week. 

The Grundy County lawmaker said farm bills govern nearly 100% of agricultural and rural policy for the next five years, which is why it’s so important for Congress to work with the ag community and our state legislators to get it right.”

Representatives from the Illinois Corn Growers Association, Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois Beef Association, Illinois Farm Bureau and Illinois Department of Agriculture joined the discussion to share their thoughts about different portions of the current farm bill and what changes they believe should be made in the next federal farm bill, set to be filed and discussed in 2023.

The group discussed input costs, preserving federal crop insurance programs, and increasing market access for commodities, among other items important to the Illinois agriculture community. The current congressional farm bill was signed into law in 2018 and is set to expire in October of 2023.