WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 5, 2001) – National Farmers Union (NFU) today commended the Senate for beginning farm bill discussions and encouraged no further delays.

"We appreciate the Senate passing a motion that will allow movement on farm legislation," said NFU President Leland Swenson. "We urge the Senate to establish an adequate safety net, employ meaningful conservation incentives and create an aggressive competition title this year."

The Senate today passed 73 to 26 a motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed with the farm bill. The cloture motion allows a maximum 30 hours of debate on the motion to proceed, which means the vote to move on the farm bill may not occur until Thursday evening.

As the farm bill discussions proceed, Swenson said Farmers Union will support amendments that include a competition title prohibiting packer ownership of livestock and addressing contract growers’ rights. NFU also seeks to improve the Senate bill by establishing payment limits and targeting savings to family farmers, farmer-owned reserves and flex-fallow commodity options.

NFU continues its push to maintain mandatory country-of-origin labeling of fruits, vegetables, peanuts and meats such as beef, pork, lamb and farm-raised fish in the Senate farm bill.

The family farm and ranch organization has openly opposed a substitute by Sens. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and Pat Roberts, R-Kan., which would lower loan rates and delete the counter-cyclical target price program.

"This amendment would basically continue the 1996 Freedom to Farm Act which has left family farmers and ranchers and rural communities unprotected," Swenson said. "We oppose the Cochran-Roberts amendment and any others that would weaken producers’ safety net."

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