US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spoke on behalf of Kentucky farmers at the Farm Bill conference committee meeting on Wednesday.

Part of the Senate-passed bill includes provisions supported by Sen. McConnell surrounding industrial hemp.

Sen. McConnell delivered the following statements:

“I’m pleased to join you and our colleagues on this committee. As Majority Leader, I rarely appoint myself to conference committees. But I wanted to contribute personally to finalizing this vital legislation in a timely manner.

I’m proud to speak for Kentucky’s farmers and rural communities. I can assure you they’ve been following our progress on this farm bill closely. I look forward to working with each of you to deliver a farm bill that works for them, and for farm families and rural communities across America.

Just last week, we learned the USDA is now forecasting that net farm income will decline by 13 percent this year. That’s a continuation of five years of depressed commodity prices. It’s never been easy to make a living as a farmer. But these new data only confirm what I know all of us regularly hear from the farmers and ranchers we represent: They’re faced with falling prices, volatile markets, and the threat of natural disaster. They need predictability. They need stability. They need our help.

This bill is our chance to provide it. I’m proud that the Senate passed our version with overwhelmingly bipartisan support (86-11). I hope we’ll continue in good-faith cooperation and send a bipartisan, bicameral bill to the President’s desk that he’ll sign before our deadline at the end of this month.

This legislation will fulfill our core responsibilities to America’s producers. It will also make new investments in rural communities, such as expanding broadband access and providing ongoing support in the fight against opioid abuse and substance addiction. And it will empower producers to fully explore growing markets — both here at home and around the world.

It’s no secret I’m particularly excited about the parts of the Senate-passed bill that concern industrial hemp. I want to recognize my friend and colleague, Congressman Comer from Western Kentucky, who as Commissioner of Agriculture before he came to Congress, was the first Kentuckian to take a major lead role in what has now developed into a national consensus. I believe that industrial hemp deserves a comeback, and I think the confusion with its more controversial cousin has largely been eliminated, and I particularly want to give him a shoutout not only here now to finish the job as a member of this Conference but for really starting this issue in our state.

American consumers have been buying hemp products for decades. The crop’s proven its usefulness. It’s past time that we build on the work we began with the pilot program in the 2014 Farm Bill and unleash farmers in Kentucky and across the country to grow it right here at home — with proper oversight — so they can capitalize on this multi-billion dollar market.

So there’s a lot to be excited about in this legislation. I encourage our conferees to keep our eyes on the prize, focus on what we’re able to accomplish together, and resolve our differences quickly.

I’m proud to be working with you to bring this across the finish line. Our farmers, our rural communities, and all Americans deserve no less.”

