Agriculture officials at the USDA say there's been confirmation that the U.S. House won't take up the Farm Bill until at least after the election. The house speaker made that announcement Thursday.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, calls that, "unfortunate, because rural America needs passage of this Food, Farms, and Jobs Bill and it needs it quickly."

Vilsack, says many disaster programs have already expired and says producers are left with no certainty as to what programs they will have when it comes time to prepare for spring planting.

He suggests it may mean difficulty for farmers and ranchers to access any financial assistants they might need before putting crops in the ground.

The report from the USDA says the Farm Bill remains on hold while congress goes on election recess.

The last farm bill was passed in 2007.

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