NFU: Senate Ag Committee Approves Farm Bill
By NFU, Liz Friedlander

National Farmers Union commended Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin, Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss and members of the committee today following committee approval of a 2007 Farm Bill that supports many of NFUÂ’s priority issues and moves this vital bill forward in the legislative process.

The bill protects the safety net for farmers when prices fall; creates a permanent disaster program; ensures mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) will be implemented for meats, fruits and vegetables; and allows interstate shipment of state-inspected meat.

“The committee bill includes many important provisions that have a significant, positive impact on America’s family farmers, ranchers and rural communities. Today’s action moves the bill one step closer to the finish line,” NFU President Tom Buis said.

Because the 2002 Farm Bill saved money, the 2007 bill had to be created with a reduced budget baseline. Buis said that despite this obstacle, the Senators were able to write a good bill.

A permanent disaster program is NFUÂ’s number one priority for the 2007 Farm Bill and the billÂ’s $5 billion permanent disaster assistance program will provide a helping hand to producers struck by devastating weather conditions.

“The single biggest hole in the current safety net is the lack of a permanent disaster program. Weather-related disasters are going to occur and this program will provide the assurance producers need to continue another year. I commend Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad for their efforts to include this program in the farm bill,” Buis said.

NFU played a vital role in reaching compromise agreements between groups representing both sides of two of the bill’s provisions – interstate shipment of meat and mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL). The committee-passed bill includes a new program that will level the playing field by allowing small producers to ship their high quality products across state lines. The bill also includes slightly modified House farm bill language that would implement mandatory COOL. Mandatory COOL was included in the 2002 bill but its implementation has been repeatedly delayed.

“Interstate shipment of state-inspected meat and mandatory COOL will greatly benefit producers and consumers alike,” Buis said. “Producers will be able to ship their quality products to their neighbors across state lines and consumers will be able to tell the origin of the products they purchase.”

Other highlights include:

    * Competition title to reduce concentration in the marketplace;
    * Ban on packer ownership of livestock;
    * $3.7 billion for conservation programs;
    * $4.2 billion increase in nutrition program spending;
    * $500 million to promote economic growth and jobs in rural America;
    * Restores the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program to original support levels;
    * Invests $1.3 billion in fuels from the farm; and
    * Increases funding for specialty crop producers.


“I am hopeful the full Senate will take up the farm bill soon, as the 2002 Farm Bill expired last month and farmers and ranchers across the country need to know what type of federal farm policy they will be operating under next year,” Buis said.

The House Agriculture Committee approved its farm bill in July and todayÂ’s Senate Agriculture Committee action is another step to final farm bill passage. The bill now heads to the Senate floor, followed by a Senate-House conference committee to work out the two billÂ’s differences and then to the PresidentÂ’s desk.

Iowa Farmers Union
PO Box 8988
528 Billy Sunday Rd
Ames, IA  50014
800-775-5227
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www.iafu.org