SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY

LENGTH: 657 words

COMMITTEE: SENATE AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION AND FORESTRY

HEADLINE: FARM BILL ISSUES

TESTIMONY-BY: TOM HARKIN, SENATOR

BODY:
September 26, 2001

STATEMENT OF U.S. SENATOR TOM HARKIN, CHAIRMAN

HEARING ON THE ADMINISTRATION'S VIEWS ON

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL POLICY

"This morning I am pleased to welcome Secretary Veneman, accompanied by Under Secretary Penn and Dr. Keith Collins to our Committee for a hearing on the Administration's views on food and agricultural policy. We look forward to hearing this morning's testimony and discussion of the report from the Administration released last week. Just yesterday, the distinguished ranking member, Senator Lugar, and I issued a set of joint policy objectives for the farm bill. So I believe the stage is set for a good hearing and airing of views. "Farm families and rural communities across America have not shared in our nation's prosperity. We need new directions in federal agriculture, food and rural policies. I welcome Secretary Veneman's report because it clearly indicates a willingness to examine critical issues in rural America and in our food and agriculture system - and to explore new ideas and policy proposals. To be sure, there are details to be filled in, and I look forward to working with the Secretary and her team on specific policies.

"Farm income protection is of course a fundamental part of the farm bill. We need a better system to provide adequate income protection without requiring annual emergency legislation. However, protecting agricultural producers against income losses is not enough by itself. The farm bill must also help farmers and rural communities create and realize opportunities for the future. If the legislation fails to lay a foundation for new opportunities, rural America will be no better off five or 10 years from now. Farmers will be just as dependent on commodity program payments and rural communities will still be falling behind."

"The new farm bill should help farmers earn better returns and a larger share of the consumer dollar in the market. Value-added processing ventures, new biotechnology products, innovative marketing channels and increased exports all can help. If independent farms are to survive, though, we must ensure that agricultural markets are open, competitive and fair.

"America's farmers, ranchers and landowners have a strong stewardship ethic, but margins are tight and they too often lack the financial resources to conserve natural resources as they want to do. The new farm bill should extend and strengthen USDA's current conservation programs, and it should create a new system of incentive payments for maintaining or adopting new conservation practices on land in production. The bipartisan legislation I have authored will both improve producers' incomes and help them conserve soil, water and wildlife.

"We have barely scratched the surface of the potential for producing farm-based renewable energy and raw materials, including ethanol, biodiesel, biomass and even wind power. Anything we can make from a barrel of oil we can produce from farm commodities. I am proposing a special title to promote renewable energy in the farm bill. That has never been done, but the time is right.

"We also need to strengthen the foundation and infrastructure of our nation's food and agriculture sector. That includes support for research, protecting the safety and security of our food supply and safeguarding plant and animal health. And we must meet our responsibility to help fight hunger and malnutrition at home and in developing countries, especially among children.

"We will not have truly healthy rural communities unless both farms and small towns do well. Rural America is too often at a disadvantage when it comes to basics like enough good water, electric power, telecommunications, loans for businesses and equity capital for investment. A critical part of the farm bill is helping to revitalize rural economies, generate more good jobs and improve the quality of life in rural communities."



LOAD-DATE: September 27, 2001