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Conserving Natural Resources for Future Generations must be Part of Farm Bill 2002NCBA President-elect testifies before the Committee on Agriculture's Subcommittee on Conservation05/23/2001
Washington, D.C. (May 23, 2001) - In testimony today, Wythe Willey, cattle rancher from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and President Elect of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, advised law-makers that a strong and well-funded conservation title in the 2002 farm bill is essential for economic viability in the industry; adequate resource conservation and compliance with environmental benefits demanded from American agriculture. “The 2002 farm bill must recognize the new demands being placed on livestock producers and make a major, new commitment to providing conservation cost share and incentive payments assistance in the context of voluntary, incentive-based programs,” Willey said. The Farm Bill determines the amount of support for agricultural industry programs and is critically important to livestock producers. Funds for producers to conserve and manage their lands have steadily declined since 1985 and, in his statement, Willey urged the committee to reverse this trend. “Preserving the land for future generations is a primary goal for producers," said Willey, “but livestock producers need economic resources to comply with current environmental regulations while staying economically viable.” Projected to produce over $100 billion in receipts in the next year, livestock production consistently averages 50 percent or more of total agricultural receipts. In addition, grassland pasture and range was the single largest use of U.S. land, according to a 2000 USDA report. It is because of this vital importance to the entire agricultural infrastructure that the NCBA asks for a major and substantial federal investment in helping conserve the lands owned and operated by livestock producers. # # # Producer-directed and consumer-focused, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is the trade association of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers, and the marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry. Producer-directed and consumer-focused, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is the trade association of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers, and the marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry. | |||||||||||||||
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