Autumn is here and most of America’s farmers are in the full swing of harvest. As farmers are working long hours in the field, legislators on Capitol Hill are tackling a different kind of challenge: implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill.

The 2018 Farm Bill was passed last December and included key provisions to strengthen crop insurance and solidify its position as the most important risk management tool for farmers.

The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee recently held a hearing where Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Censky provided an update to senators on the USDA’s progress on implementation of the legislation.

With crop insurance being a critical program for rural America, it is no surprise that it received praise from both sides of the aisle during the hearing.

During his opening statement, Censky applauded the federal crop insurance program, saying that it “has been a vital part of the farm safety net.”

Censky also noted “key provisions related to veteran farmers and ranchers have been implemented that made crop insurance more affordable and with more robust coverage.”

National Crop Insurance Services previously commended Congress for including provisions in the Farm Bill to expand crop insurance to veteran farmers. This will help expand the farm safety net to traditionally underserved communities and give veterans the tools they need to effectively manage their farming risks.

Committee Chairman Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), also touted the crop insurance program, particularly during what has been a difficult year for farming.

“This fall, as producers are trying to harvest their crops, challenges have continued just this past week,” Roberts said. “The 2018 Farm Bill does provide important risk management tools such as crop insurance to mitigate the risk and losses from these unpredictable weather-related events.”

Ranking member Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) joined in the bipartisan praise, noting that the 2018 Farm Bill “recognizes the diversity of American agriculture” and expands access to the federal crop insurance program for new crops and types of production.

All told, the crop insurance program provides a dependable risk management tool for a wide variety of crops and farmers of all sizes. More than one million crop insurance policies protect 90 percent of farmland. It also covers more than 100 crops, a fact that was cited by Senator John Boozman (R-AR) during his line of questioning.

“Crop insurance is certainly a cornerstone of reform policy, provides crucial risk management tools for producers and covers well over 100 crops,” Boozman said.

With such high praise, it’s easy to see why Congress strengthened crop insurance in the 2018 Farm Bill.

As America’s farmers harvest this year’s crop and prepare to sow again in the spring, they know that they can depend on the affordable and reliable safety net provided by crop insurance.