COMMODITY GROUPS JOIN IN MESSAGE TO CONGRESS Agricultural
organizations demonstrated their mutual concern to keep the farm bill
intact this past week. Members of the Roundtable coalition embarked on a
series of efforts to make clear that the farm bill, signed into law on May
13, 2002, a result of shared need for stability in farm bill legislation,
should stay intact and be allowed to work.
This joint concern of commodity groups has resulted in part because of
the efforts of those who seek to dismantle the farm bill and seek to cut
funding through a payment limitation amendment. Proposals to amend the
funding of the farm bill have also been considered because of natural
weather disasters that the provisions of the farm bill do not cover. This
is complicated by the fact that crop insurance that loses its
effectiveness in sequential years of crisis does not provide relief. Many
commodity groups and Members of Congress struggle with the balanced needs
of maintaining an economic safety net, and providing a means of survival
to those who struggle with weather disasters.
While NAWG supports and actively promotes disaster relief for drought
and flood stricken producers, the organization’s policy has been to keep
the bill intact for the economic relief it offers and find a source of
funding that will bring badly needed disaster relief.
Events of the commodity coalition began with a press conference held at
the Capitol Hill Holiday Inn on Tuesday, July 16th. NAWG Past President
Dusty Tallman joined a panel of agricultural leaders to urge Congress to
reject amendments to the Farm Bill. Some amendments have been offered in
the House Appropriations process, and others may surface in either chamber
on Capitol Hill.
Others on the panel included Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman, Cotton
Council Chairman Kenneth Hood, US Rice Producers Group Chairman Don
Bransford, American Soybean Association Vice President Ron Heck, National
Corn Growers CEO Rick Tolman, and US Rice Producers President Dwight
Roberts.
The message was forthright and simple. Amendments to the farm bill will
complicate matters further for producers already struggling with
uncertainty before the farm bil was signed and then adapting to the
multiple new provisions in the middle of a crop season. Farm groups
challenged Congress to give the bill a chance to work. It has been in
effect for two months, they explained, and therefore, it is premature to
change it before it is implemented.
Members of the panel used the news conference to correct some of the
misinformation related to the payment limitation issues. Members of both
Houses of Congress have used large government payments to cooperatives as
an example of the need for payment limitations. Panel members emphasized
that payments made to cooperatives are not retained by them, but paid out
to cooperative members.
According to American Soybean Association Vice President, Ron Heck, the
payment limitation issue is not as much of a regional issue as farm bill
opponents suggest. Heck pointed out that the limitations as set forth in a
proposed amendment would max out at 1800 acres of beans in Iowa.
NAWG joined other wheat growers in the second effort of Defense of the
Farm Bill. Past President, Dusty Tallman of Colorado, along with Patricia
Buschette and Daren Coppock visited approximately 30 offices of the House
of Representatives seeking support for the farm bill and explaining the
problem of a limitations amendment more extensive than in the current
legislation. The effort was productive as in many cases, it provided
information that had otherwise been misrepresented.
The handout left at House offices provided important information. For
example, when a farmer is defined as anyone who produces a crop valued at
$1,000 or more (equivalent of a 4-acre corn farm), most farmers are “big
farmers.” Further, staff learned that while 38% of farm families receive
87% of the benefits, they also produce 92% of America’s food and fiber.
Some of them produce these crops on farms as small as 372 acres. By
contrast, 62% of the farmers who receive only 13% of the benefits, produce
8% of America’s food and fiber.
During the week a coalition of farm commodity groups met with Members
of Congress and their staffs to thank them for their work on farm issues,
to seek preservation of the farm bill as passed, and to illustrate their
solidarity. The visits were positive and while the group did not always
agree with Senators’ positions, the exchange was open and amicable.
In meetings with Senators as well as staff, it was clear that one of
the most difficult issues to arise is that of disaster assistance for
producers who, through the vagaries of weather, have lost nearly their
entire crop. This disaster has affected not only to crop production but
crop producers have been forced to sell livestock because of lack of feed.
Providers of goods and services to producers are losing their customers,
and rural communities will be profoundly affected by this crisis.
With the August recess, looming, the agricultural appropriations debate
has been moved to a September discussion.
