U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway and U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, R-Alabama, met with over 100 farmers in Troy June 5 to discuss reauthorizing the farm bill.

“What you can do between now and the end of September is don’t let up,” said Conaway, encouraging farmers to ask Congress to work toward passing the bill.

The Senate passed its version of the farm bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (S. 3042), June 28. The House passed its version, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2), June 21.

Conaway, R-Texas, said he expects a conference committee to be appointed soon to iron out differences between the bills. Once both chambers approve a final measure, it will be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.

Roby, who serves on the House Committee on Appropriations, praised Conaway for his leadership.

“We have a very good working relationship to make sure Alabama agriculture is taken care of,” Roby said.

Conaway said Roby has a pivotal role in funding farm bill programs.

“She’s a terrific ally on the Appropriations Committee,” Conaway said. “She helps make a lot of the decisions on funding for the things we are going to try to authorize in the farm bill. You have a terrific representative in her, and we really need her back in Congress.”

Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell praised Roby.

“She has always been a voice in Washington for our farmers,” Parnell said.

Roby, a former House Agriculture Committee member, is endorsed by the Federation in her reelection bid.

After the meeting in Troy, Roby and Conaway visited Carl Sanders’ row crop farm in Coffee County, where they further discussed the farm bill and ag issues.