Major agriculture groups representing most U.S. commodities gathered last week to discuss priorities for where Congress should invest in ag policy, with the preservation of crop insurance, funding and a forward looking view of the next farm bill at the top of the list. As the current Farm Bill expires in September next year, lawmakers are beginning talks on the critical legislation.

Spending is a primary topic of debate in the Farm Bill. Analysts say holding the funding together from the last farm bills would be the most favorable, even as the American Soybean Association aims to push more dollars for nutrition programs and crop subsidies under “Title One” in the farm bill along with increasing overall funding. The availability and expansion of crop insurance remains another critical goal of many farm groups, along with including more funding for foreign animal disease prevention.

Read more on Farm Bill priorities from various agriculture groups here.