NCGA Congratulates President Bush on Farm Bill Signing
May 13, 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Willett, NCGA, 202-628-7001
Mimi Ricketts, NCGA, 314-275-9915, ext. 112

(WASHINGTON) May 13, 2002 -- At 7:40 a.m. EDT today, President George W. Bush signed the 2002 Farm Bill into law. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) played an active role in the Farm Bill Process and was pleased to see the President take quick action by signing this legislation.

"Success of farmers and ranchers is essential to success of the American economy," Bush said during the signing ceremony. "This bill is generous and provides a safety net for farmers. It will do so without encouraging overproduction and depressing prices."

Now that the President has signed the legislation into law, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will turn to the difficult task of implementing the new policies and programs over the next few months.

NCGA President Tim Hume, a corn grower from Walsh, Colo., said, "With spring planting under way, quick passage of the farm bill was critical. NCGA thanks the President for his prompt action in giving farmers an economic safety net for this crop year and looks with anticipation to the USDA as it begins its work implementing the bill."

The new Farm Bill will: · Stem the tide of unbudgeted ad hoc assistance that has been required year after year, including over $30 billion over the last four years, · Fully maintain the market-oriented features of the 1996 Farm Bill, having minimal impact on price and production according to economic analysis, · Fully maintain the planting flexibility of the 1996 Farm Bill, · Provide for the largest investment in conservation ever - fully 80 percent above the levels of the Boehlert conservation amendment to the 1996 Farm Bill, and · Replace the 1996 Farm Bill that is set to expire on Sept. 30 of this year.

Conservation is a key part of the new Farm Bill. "The Conservation Security Program is a new national incentive payment program that rewards producers for maintaining and increasing farm and ranch stewardship practices," said NCGA Director of Public Policy Sam Willett. "The Farm Bill will invest $2 billion towards this program."

Also in the area of conservation, the 2002 Farm Bill will increase federal investment in soil and water programs by more than 80 percent above current programs levels. "This will provide growers with more options to implement progressive conservation practices on their land," said Willett, "with the backing of increased technical assistance to producers using government or private contractors."

He also pointed out the 2002 Farm Bill will make all the needed changes to the Conservation Reserve Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to make them more usable and accessible to all producers in all regions of the country.

The Bill also contains a first-ever Energy Title that includes a continuation of the Commodity Credit Corporation Bioenergy program.

The Energy Title also reauthorizes the Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000 through fiscal year 2007 and will create a new program where federal agencies give preference to purchasing biobased products, which should help energize emerging markets for these products.

Value-added market development grants have also been expanded to meet growers' interests in start-up farmer-owned value-added processing facilities while establishing resource centers to assist producers in value-added endeavors.

The new bill, according to a recent analysis by the Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute, projects an increase in annual net farm income by an average of $3.8 billion. Conservation programs will contribute an estimated $0.7 billion per year.

For more information regarding this matter, please visit our website at http://www.ncga.com/.

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The National Corn Growers Association mission is to create and increase opportunities for corn growers in a changing world and to enhance corn's profitability and usage. NCGA represents more than 32,000 members, 25 affiliated state corn grower organizations and hundreds of thousands of growers who contribute to state checkoff programs.