NCGA Urges House Leadership
to Preserve 2002 Farm Bill (3-18-03)
Joined by
11 national commodity organizations, the National Corn Growers Association
(NCGA) today sent a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.)
and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urging Congress
to preserve funding of the farm bill. The organizations expressed
concerns with the House Budget Committee’s decision last week
requiring $19.7 billion be cut from agriculture, including farm bill
programs.
“Our
organizations believe strongly that reopening the 2002 farm bill,
following a very divisive debate and protracted negotiations, will
only undermine the sensible and reliable farm safety net provided
by the 107th Congress to restore long term fiscal discipline in agriculture
spending,” stated the letter. “America's farmers and ranchers
are still reeling from an unprecedented period of severe drought,
rising energy costs, and sharp declines in farm income.”
The organizations
cited the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute’s
(FAPRI) recent annual baseline projection, which reported that farmers'
income suffered a “dramatic one-year $13 billion dip in 2002.”
According to the groups, FAPRI is predicting prices for major crops,
including corn, soybeans and wheat, will likely decline later this
year. Analysts are projecting only modest gains for cotton, rice and
peanuts.
The groups
are advocating the new counter-cyclical program, which they say plays
a “crucial role in shoring up many financially stressed farm
operations.” Further, said the groups, an important reason for
strengthening the direct payment and marketing loan assistance programs
“was to stem the tide of unbudgeted ad hoc assistance.
“At
a time when our nation faces the threat of terrorism, an impending
war, and a softening economy, our organizations recognize the responsibility
of Congress and the administration to confront rising federal budget
deficits,” continued the letter. “However, a change of
course this soon into implementation of the new farm bill would put
the recovery of our rural economy seriously at risk. It would also
undercut efforts to provide new conservation initiatives and enhance
the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture in the world marketplace.”
Joining
NCGA on the letter are: American Soybean Association, National Association
of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Cotton
Council, National Grain Sorghum Producers, National Sunflower Association,
Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, US Canola Association, US Rice
Producers Association, USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council, and USA Rice
Federation.