Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) President Dennis Slater issued the following statement today calling on the United States Senate Agriculture Committee to mark up the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which contains a robust safety net for U.S. farmers and ranchers:

“Sound agricultural policy that promotes a strong farm economy will not only assist farmers and ranchers, but also help protect many of the 1.3 million equipment manufacturing jobs across the country. We applaud the leadership provided by Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to produce the bipartisan Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which provides much-needed funding for programs that assist farmers and ranchers battered by low commodity prices. We urge all the members of the Senate Agriculture Committee to vote in support of the bill.”

The Agriculture Improvement Act includes policies that support production agriculture, crop insurance, conservation programs, research, and expanding foreign markets critical to providing farmers with consistent policy for the next five years. The U.S. Committee on Agriculture is expected to vote the bill out of committee this week.

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AEM is the North American-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers, with more than 950 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide. The equipment manufacturing industry in the United States supports 1.3 million jobs and contributes roughly $159 billion to the economy every year.