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July 6, 2001
Patman: Farm Bill demands attention
Texas Farm Bureau President Donald Patman, during the recent summer commodity conference in Victoria, turned the organization's attention once again to the writing of the next farm bill. He emphasized that much of TFB's work on the current farm law over the past six years has been "damage control," doing what needed to be done to save Texas agriculture—especially in regards to emergency assistance.
"Congress has been generous, but development of a new 2001 Farm Bill represents an opportunity to lock in effective policy that will protect and nurture our food production capacity for years to come," Patman said.
The TFB leader outlined some of the goals the state's largest farm organization wants included in the next farm bill as follows:
•Continue production flexibility contracts.
•Rebalance loan rates.
•Implement a counter-cyclical support program—with assistance when prices are low.
•Oppose a return to supply management or targeting benefits.
•Loan deficiency payments for grazed-out wheat.
•Lock in LDPs before harvest.
•Expand agricultural exports.
•Increase rural economic development.
•Extend the dairy price support program.
•Increase funding for agricultural research.
•Assistance for fruit and vegetable producers.
•Implement a new wool and mohair marketing program.
"We have come to understand that farm subsidies and crop insurance programs are only short-term solutions. But you have to put out the fire before you can rebuild," Patman said.
The TFB leader emphasized that the United States cannot afford to leave agriculture without a safety net in the interim.
"In the long term, though, added value to our production is a big part of the answer to our problems," he suggested."
Stallman calls for new trade round
Saying the need for new markets for America's agricultural products has never been greater, American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman recently called for the launch of a new round of global trade talks and urged Congress to grant President Bush Trade Promotion Authority.
"Agriculture is more reliant on exports than almost any other sector of our economy," Stallman said. "Significant barriers to global agricultural trade are in place throughout the world and must be eliminated. World Trade Organization negotiations are our best opportunity to eliminate the unfair trading practices that prevent U.S. agriculture from reaching its full potential in world markets."
Despite the fact that a new round of negotiations was not launched two years ago in Seattle as expected, Stallman said he is encouraged that WTO negotiations are underway, noting that "nothing is more important to agricultural trade" than to launch a new trade round this year.
Stallman spoke at a Washington news conference sponsored by the AgTrade coalition, a group of more than 100 organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, dedicated to increasing agricultural trade.
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman also spoke at the session.
USDA offers relief for wool, mohair
About 22,000 wool and mohair producers started receiving $18.3 million in payments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture the week of June 18.
The Wool and Mohair Market Loss Assistance Program helps eligible producers who suffered an economic loss due to low wool and mohair prices for the 2000 marketing year.
The payment rate is 40 cents per pound.
Notable Quotables
"My administration will support ethanol not only during the campaign but afterwards. We believe in value-added processing. I haven't changed my mind since I got elected. I still strongly believe that ethanol is important, not only to reduce dependency upon foreign sources of energy, but also as a source and a way to clean the air."
—President George W. Bush in his remarks at the tax celebration event held recently at the Barrett Farm in Dallas Center, Iowa. The president was explaining the reason he came back to the Iowa farm to talk about the new tax bill was because it was where he talked about his agricultural policy which included supporting ethanol and estate tax elimination.
