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November 15, 2001

Miller Hails Senate Committee's Farm Bill As Victory for Georgia Farmers
Georgia Peanut Commission Praises Miller's Work

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) today praised the Farm Bill passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee and urged the full Senate to vote on the bill as quickly as possible.

"Any way you look at it, the Farm Bill coming out of the Senate Agriculture Committee today is a victory for Georgia farmers," said Miller, a member of the Agriculture Committee. "Our goal was to try to improve on the House Farm Bill and I think we've done that."

The Farm Bill will set the nation's agriculture policy for the next five years. The current Farm Bill is set to expire at the end of 2002.

The Senate committee's Farm Bill gives $3.9 billion dollars to the peanut program over the next five years - that's about $400 million more than the amount approved by the House last month.

For the first time, Congress is set to change the peanut program from a quota system to a market-oriented system that will be more beneficial to farmers. Miller said he worked hard to ensure that the bill allows for a smooth transition.

"Our bill builds a bridge from the old system to the new," Miller said. "We have worked very hard to make sure that quota holders will be fairly compensated."

Armond Morris, chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission, praised Miller's work on the Farm Bill and the committee's passage of it today.

"Georgia peanut farmers praise the Senate Agriculture Committee for the passage of the farm bill. Immediate action was needed and the Agriculture Committee stepped up to the plate," Morris said.

"We are pleased to see such strong leadership from Senator Miller. Senator Miller has worked hard for peanut farmers and he has worked urgently this year to approve a farm bill that will benefit farmers," Morris said.

In addition to benefiting the peanut industry, the Senate committee's bill also gives more money to cotton producers - another of Georgia's top crops.

"I am very pleased that my colleagues on the Agriculture Committee saw fit to craft a bill that is so beneficial to the Southeast and especially to Georgia," Miller said.

Miller urged the full Senate to pass the Farm Bill as quickly as possible to help Georgia farmers, who are suffering from low commodity prices and sky-high production costs.

"Our farmers are hurting and their futures are uncertain. I will work as hard as I can to give them some stability by pushing to pass this Farm Bill before we adjourn for the year," Miller said.

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