House Farm Bill Hearing Calls for More of 2002 Programs
Georgia farmers tell the agricultural subcommittee they want to keep the commodity programs in tact. Congressmen say the money isn't there.
Pam Golden
Published: Mar 30, 2006
About 160 people, many of them producers, gathered in Valdosta, Ga., Tuesday to tell the House Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management what they think about the 2002 Farm Bill and what they want to see in the 2007 version of this country's agricultural policy.
"We would like to see the current farm bill be the guideline for the next Farm Bill," says Wavell Robinson, a cotton producer from Wavell, Ga.
The problem, U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga., says is "we're in an era when people want to vote 'no' to spending money."
Marshall urged all sectors of the agricultural industry to "come to Congress with one voice."
While many might have expected commodity programs to be one of the areas where segments of the industry might disagree, a fruit and vegetable farmer who isn't eligible for any of those programs told the Subcommittee that he supported their continuation.
"I'm not foolish enough to site here and say they don't need it," Tifton, Ga., farmer Bill Brimm says. "I don't think any of the farmers who grow cotton and peanuts can make it without subsidies."
Brimm drew a laugh when he suggested that cuts to subsidies would drive those farmers into the fruit and vegetable business. "I don't need that," he says.
Much of the hearing was taken up with discussion of the commodity program issues as well as fuel prices, alternative fuel opportunities and insurance.
Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Moran, R-Kan., noted after the hearing the he was aware of the challenges facing farmers today.
"There are certainly challenges in today's farming and ranching environment: high input costs due to rising energy costs, more environmental regulation, and natural disasters that have wrecked havoc on crops, livestock, and property. Good farm policy that provides a financial safety net in tough times is essential," Moran says.
Agriculture is Georgia's largest industry, contributing over $5.1 billion annually in cash receipts to the state's economy. Georgia ranks first in the nation in the production of poultry and eggs and peanuts and ranks second in cotton production.
One of the questions U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., had for the producers who spoke was whether conservation programs - so-called "green" payments in reference to World Trade Organization requirements - could fill in the gap if commodity programs were dismantled.
"We don't feel like they give us a safety net," Robinson says. "Counter-cyclical payments give us a safety net."
That isn't the first time he's heard that, says U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas.
"The recurring theme across the country has been that the current farm bill provides a solid safety net for producers and that the 2007 version should incorporate many of the same policies. Similar to views in West Texas, there is strong support among Georgia producers for the farm programs in place now, including maintaining current payment limit policies and the counter-cyclical payments that have helped producers when prices are low," Neugebauer says.
Neugebauer also noted Georgia producers support voluntary country-of-origin labeling and improvements in their crop insurance options, an issue in which he is particularly interested.
To receive up-to-date schedule and news information from the Committee throughout the Farm Bill hearing process, please visit the House Committee on Agriculture Web site to sign up for e-mail updates: agriculture.house.gov/Eupdates/updates.html.
Permalink: Click here
Tagged: farm, farm bill, cotton, insurance, peanuts
|