President Donald Trump has proposed a 33 percent cut to the crop insurance program. That has left area farmers concerned about their ability to weather any storms that could damage their crops. A group of farmers gathered at the Peoria County Farm Bureau Monday and told U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth crop insurance not only should be kept at current levels, it should be expanded to dairy farmers.
"Crop insurance is a cost-effective program. Farmers have to buy crop insurance. It’s not a handout and it allows them to help themselves and provide some stability as they go from season to season because you never know what the weather’s going to be like." Duckworth says.
Duckworth says she believes there is bipartisan congressional support to maintain the crop insurance program as Congress debates the new farm bill. The current farm bill expires in September.