Copyright 2002 The Buffalo News  
Buffalo News (New York)
May 19, 2002 Sunday, FINAL EDITION
SECTION: LOCAL, Pg.C3

LENGTH: 438 words

HEADLINE: CLINTON VOWS TO DO MORE TO AID FARMERS

BYLINE: TODD FIELDING; Orleans Correspondent

DATELINE: ALBION

BODY:
U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton promised Saturday to do more to help New York farmers remain competitive with their Canadian and European Union counterparts.

Clinton, D-N.Y., at a town meeting at Albion Elementary School, said that a recently approved farm bill provides $17 billion to assist farmers, but that more general funding needs to be set aside for state apple and specialty crop farmers.

"There are a lot of people who do not understand how important farming is to the state," Clinton said. "We have made a little bit of progress. We have a long way to go."

She spoke for about an hour and a half to nearly 100 people at the event, put on by the Orleans County Farm Bureau. Farm Bureau groups from Niagara, Genesee and Monroe counties were also in attendance.

Clinton said senators from New England, New York and New Jersey have formed the "Eggplant Caucus," because New Jersey is the country's largest producer of eggplants.

"No one thought New Jersey produced anything but concrete," Clinton joked.

On a more serious note, she talked about the need to reduce pesticide regulations on New York farmers and the importance of attracting more young adults and federal funding to the Western New York agriculture industry.

"It is important to get some of these farm dollars into New York," said John Lincoln, president of New York State Farm Bureau. "We need to deal with the Europeans. Their farm subsidies are four to five times what ours is. We've got to have open doors with traders."

Clinton was also encouraged by community leaders to bring more agriculture-related businesses into New York. Don Kennedy, executive director of the Orleans County Industrial Development Agency, pointed out that the county in recent years lost agriculture related-businesses, such as Hunts and Bird's Eye corporations.

"I see that as a light at the end of the tunnel -- if we could get someone to help farmers sell their products," said Kennedy.

Farmers said any type of state or federal assistance to area farms will be appreciated, because prices for apples have remained largely unchanged for many years.

"We are in trouble," said farmer Jim Bender. "We are no longer the cheapest producers of apples."

Clinton also repeated calls for a congressional inquiry into how much information the Bush administration had about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks beforehand.

"I just think it is important that we have the facts to prevent anything bad from happening again," Clinton said. "It is my hope we have a nonpartisan investigation so we can protect ourselves. We have dangerous adversaries."

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