U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., will serve on the conference committee charged with settling differences between the House and Senate farm bills.

And the differences are great, the major one being that House Republicans removed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as food stamps, from the bill.

“Obviously there is much work to be done on the nutrition title,” Roberts said Friday. “I have called for more reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). We can restore integrity to the program and save the taxpayer more than the $4 billion included in the Senate bill,” he said.

Roberts voted against the version that was approved in the Senate, while U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., voted for it.

In the House, Republican leaders are calling for $40 billion in cuts to the food stamp program. President Barack Obama has said he would veto deep cuts to food stamps.

Senate Republican leaders appointed Roberts to the conference panel.

Generally, Roberts said, “I look forward to representing the views of Kansas farmers and ranchers as we continue to work toward a farm bill.

“I want certainty for producers and will fight to protect crop insurance and programs critical to livestock producers who are still suffering due to drought.”