Kansas Republican Senator Pat Roberts is painting a bleak picture of the nation's farm economy.
During a hearing on farm credit on Thursday, Roberts said profitability for farmers and ranchers is expected to decline for the third straight year.
"Over the past three years alone, net farm income is expected to decline by 56 percent," Roberts says. "As our nation's farmers and rural communities continue to deal with low commodity prices, access to affordable credit in rural America is absolutely crucial."
Roberts chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee.