By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Several hundred Illinois farmers are in St. Louis to talk about agricultural policy.
The Illinois Farm Bureau's four-day convention wraps up Tuesday downtown.
Much of the policy discussion will take place Monday, and bureau spokesman Dennis Vercler says most of it will center on the 2007 Farm Bill.
"There are two big forces that may impact the 2007 bill. One is the budget. And the second is international trade rules, the details of which are not entirely known at this point."
Congress usually considers a farm bill every four to five years. It passed the last one in 2002. Vercler says crop insurance, environmental policy and price supports are also prime concerns.
Farmers will also discuss things like health care and broadband communications in rural areas.