FB Delegates Back Disaster Aid, Oppose Farm Bill Changes

TAMPA, Fla., January 22, 2003 – Delegates at the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual meeting today reaffirmed support for financial assistance for farmers and ranchers who suffered crop and livestock losses due to weather disasters in 2001 and 2002. They also insisted that the 2002 farm bill should not be reopened, opposed a ban on packer ownership of livestock and reiterated support for the country-of-origin labeling provisions of the 2002 farm bill.

Delegates approved a resolution that urged "Congress to complete action on emergency weather disaster assistance for the nearly 90 percent of all U.S. counties that have received disaster designations," during both the 2001 and 2002 crop years.

In addition, on several farm program-related issues, they expressed support for maintaining the funding and structure of the farm bill, saying it should not be reopened.

On the packer ownership question, delegates removed policy added in 2002 that called for a prohibition of "packer ownership of livestock for more than 14 days prior to slaughter" except in certain circumstances. The policy also includes language that encourages the Agriculture Department, in conjunction with the Justice Department, to "closely investigate all mergers, ownership changes or other trends in the meat packing industry for actions that limit the availability of a competitive market for livestock producers." Delegates recommended that AFBF establish a task force to examine the impact to agriculture of a ban on packer ownership of livestock.

In other action, the delegates reaffirmed Farm Bureau policy that supports labeling of agricultural products as "grown in the USA." The policy states that for animal products to receive the label, the animal must have been "exclusively born, raised and processed in the United States." The delegates also asked the board for a study of the impact of country-of-origin labeling on producers of livestock and livestock products.

Addressing the issue of homeland security, the delegates urged the new Cabinet department to ensure the continued safe production of food and fiber.

To bolster rural America, the delegates called for federal lending programs to provide adequate resources for beginning farmers. They also endorsed federal and state rural development programs.

In other convention news, state Farm Bureau presidents Alan Foutz of Colorado, Craig Lang of Iowa and Kenneth Dierschke of Texas were newly elected to the AFBF board of directors.

Jeff Gatzke of South Dakota was elected to head the AFBF Young Farmer and Rancher Committee.

Terry Gilbert of Kentucky was re-elected to serve another two-year term as chair of the American Farm Bureau Women's Committee. Helen Norris of Kansas also was newly elected to serve on the AFB Women's Committee.

Gatzke and Gilbert also serve on the AFBF board of directors.

Contacts:

Don Lipton (202) 484-3624 donl@fb.org

Mace Thornton 847-685-8755 macet@fb.org

This page was last modified Wed Jan 22, 2003 at 10:24 am