Montalba farm at danger of shutting down if new federal farm bill isn’t passed

MONTALBA, Texas (KLTV) - Federal lawmakers are nearing the deadline to pass the largest piece of federal legislation for food and farming nationwide.

The Agricultural Improvement Act provides additional aid for farmers like Braden McInnis, who owns McInns Farms in Montalba.

"I used several of their young farmers' start-up loans and young farmer low-interest rate lines of credit," said McInnis.

The farm bill funds these loans and also things like crop insurance which provide farmers with peace of mind in case of failed crops.

"This crop insurance allows us like a year like this failed crop, to get money back and restart for next year. Without it, I'll be out of business," said McInnis.

The farm bill is renewed every five years. Farmers are still under the 2018 version after US lawmakers failed to pass a new one last year.

"Our national security is at stake if we don't support farmers and ranchers who are growing the food going to the grocery stores," said Joe Gilson the director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The organization was among 300 nationwide that urged Congress to pass the long-delayed farm bill.

"In the past five years, the US has lost 140,000 farms. It's not uncommon to see farmers go out of business because the economics are not working," said Gilson.

He also says there are two reasons why this bill is stuck in Congress.

"How much should we be spending on supplement and nutrition system programs," Gilson said, "how much support to provide to farmers to stay in the business year to year."

Delays in a new farm bill could jeopardize farm operations for farmers like McInnis across the nation.

"If that doesn't get passed... there's no way I could afford to purchase crop insurance for next year," said McInnis.

US lawmakers have until the end of September to pass a new farm bill. If they don't they may extend the current one for another year.