“The last farm bill has already expired, and severe impacts will be felt by farmers, consumers and agribusinesses in early 2013 if a new farm bill is not passed. The costs of a short-term extension of a farm bill will be high, and the legislative effort required to pass an extension is just as great as the work needed to pass a five-year farm bill,” Mr Johnson said in the letter.

In June, the US Senate passed the bipartisan Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012 that would save $23 billion, while the US House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture passed its version of the farm bill in July, which would save $35 billion.

“Our national farm and food policy supports 16 million jobs across America, helps farmers manage their risk, continues to feed our nation’s food insecure, provides important conservation and energy programs, and invests in the rural economy. All of these important efforts are in jeopardy without a farm bill,” Mr Johnson noted in the letter.