The leader of the Iowa Farm Bureau says farmers still face a challenging future despite the record farm subsidies recently passed by the federal government. The Iowa Farm Bureau just wrapped up its mid-year meeting and president Craig Lang of Brooklyn says the subsidies help, but the prices for corn, beans and everything else aren’t too promising.He says prices paid for hogs could drop to record lows again, and prices for cattle aren’t much better. Lang says surveys show rural areas taking a hit.Many say large corporate farms are part of the problem. Lang says that’s debatable, as he says more regulations and fear of lawsuits have forced the movement toward larger farms, and the government’s “cheap food policy” has kept the price of corn low. Lang says he, his father and brother, farm one thousand acres and 400 head of cattle, and barely make it. He dearly wants his sons to go into farming, but only if they take a new approach and raise crops other than the traditional corn and beans.The Farm Bureau been criticized for favoring large-scale farms, but Lang says they’re for all types of operations. He tells members they should look to the organization to help make it through these tough times.
Iowa's Radio News Network
