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Texas Agriculture Archive

January 20, 2006

FB panel appointed
to study input costs

The American Farm Bureau Federation announced the appointment of a six-member 2006 Input Cost Review panel at its recent convention.

To help producers manage production costs, the panel will identify available resources for reducing costs, survey the regulatory environment to pinpoint any opportunities for relief, and identify financial planning and risk management tools to enable producers to maximize their returns.

"A firestorm of economic uncertainty, fueled by skyrocketing production costs, will hit many of America's farmers and ranchers this spring," said AFBF President Bob Stallman. "With higher costs for energy prices, crop inputs and interest rates converging during our key spring planting season, this panel will consider steps that could be taken to provide relief during this expected period of extreme economic difficulty."

The state Farm Bureau presidents named to the new panel are: Stanley Reed, Arkansas, chairman; Lacy Upchurch, Tennessee; Scot Vander-Wal, South Dakota; Bob Peterson, Ohio; Alex Drowse, Massachusetts; and Alan Foutz, Colorado.

The panel will launch its review in February and hold follow-up meetings at the discretion of the chairman. A report will be presented to the AFBF board of directors meeting in March.