Tough row to hoe: politicians plant priorities in 2024 farm bill [Video]

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Self driving tractors, conical combines, and pesticide propellers.

They’re all part of the new tech being rolled out at this year’s Ag on the Mall festival.

A couple acres down, lawmakers inside the Capitol are planting priorities in the new farm bill.

“If you can produce your food and fiber, you can produce your energy and your dominant in all those aspects worldwide,” said Rep. David Rouser of North Carolina. “You’re in a much, much stronger position,”

Representative Rouser’s priority is shoring up crop insurance.

“Everyone has skin in the game. Farmers pay a premium. Taxpayer pays, pays as well. And that’s the reason one of the key reasons why we have an affordable abundant, safe food supply.”

House Ag committee member Dusty Johnson is pushing for more rural connectivity to facilitate burgeoning precision-farming.

“Our demands for bandwidth for speed are doubling about every two years, So we want to build networks with that …