Congresswoman Julia Letlow (LA-05) and Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) Introduce the Quality Loss Adjustment Improvement for Farmers Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Julia Letlow (LA-05) and Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced the Quality Loss Adjustment Improvement for Farmers Act. This bill will amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to provide increased and more flexible insurance coverage for farmers who have experienced crop quality loss.
The policies existing in the current Federal Crop Insurance Act do not always provide farmers with the flexibility that is needed for the often unpredictable crop quality losses. Soybean farms in particular have been significantly impacted by quality loss issues. The Quality Loss Adjustment Improvement for Farmers Act will improve the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation’s (FCIC) review process of quality losses and requires the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) to establish a regional discount factor for crops in times of disaster.
Recently, Congresswoman Letlow was able to secure report language regarding crop insurance policies for quality losses to help address the soybean quality loss disaster from 2022 in the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations package.
“Farmers have to deal with extreme conditions and unpredictability during their seasons, and are unfortunately left without the support they need when faced with sudden crop losses,” said Rep. Letlow. “Soybean farmers in particular were negatively impacted by extreme weather and natural disasters in the fall of 2022. This bill will provide them with additional assistance during their most challenging times moving forward. I thank my friend Senator Kennedy for his collaboration to champion our agriculture industry across the state of Louisiana.”
“Too often, federal insurers give American farmers short shrift when regional disasters damage their crops. The Quality Loss Adjustment Improvement for Farmers Act would make sure that fickle government policies don’t control the fate of Louisiana’s soybean farmers,” said Kennedy.
“Louisiana agriculture is unique in the crops we grow and the challenges we face. However, we still need fair and equitable safety net programs to stay in business,” said Louisiana Farm Bureau President Jim Harper. “Congresswoman Letlow and Senator Kennedy are making that a reality through this bill and not leaving Louisiana soybean farmers behind. We are proud to have these two champions for Louisiana agriculture in Washington, D.C. and we are very thankful to have them making our voices heard.”