Editor, Gazette-Journal:
America’s farmers are enduring a severe downturn in the agricultural economy, exacerbated by unprecedented weather and natural disasters. They need the support of Congress to continue producing food and fiber to feed the world.
This summer, farms across Virginia experienced one of the worst droughts we’ve seen in years. The fall brought one of the most devastating hurricanes Southwest Virginia has endured. As a cooperative, mission-driven lender, Farm Credit will continue leveraging our financial strength to support our customer-owners through this difficult period.
Key to the ongoing agricultural recovery is action by Congress. We ask Congress to work expeditiously to provide emergency funding for agricultural producers recovering from economic and weather-related disasters and to enact a 5-year Farm Bill.
As leaders of Farm Credit Associations covering much of the commonwealth of Virginia and parts of the state of Maryland, we witness firsthand the challenges...