National Farmers Union

WASHINGTON (August 14, 2006) – Illinois Farmers Union members met for a discussion forum as part of the National Farmers Union’s nationwide series of Farm Bill Listening Sessions. NFU says that it is essential that Congress acts deliberately in drafting the next farm bill, having gathered the input of food and fiber producers in Illinois and throughout the nation.

“Farmers in Illinois expressed several areas of concern,” NFU President Tom Buis said. “They are hopeful about advances in the use of renewable fuels, but are concerned about losing farmer-control over the production of ethanol. They also expressed strong concern about the price difference between the commodity exchange price for corn wheat and soybeans, and the local cash price for those commodities, and the potential for market manipulation.”

Attendees at the listening session, held in the capitol city of Springfield, also expressed a strong preference for extending the 2002 Farm Bill for a year or two until the economic, political and international trade climate is conducive to improving on an already good piece of legislation.

“In Illinois, farmers felt that we would not be able to come up with a better farm bill than the one we have in this rancorous political climate,” Buis said.

The Midwestern farmers talked about the need for permanent disaster assistance that would assist producers during times of natural disasters without having to rely on ad-hoc assistance or the political climate in Washington, D.C.

NFU is holding the listening sessions because it believes that the answers to questions of farm policy lie with those who live and work in rural America. NFU documented the comments heard in Illinois, and will bring them to Congress in September along with the data gathered at other listening sessions that will occur throughout the country. The next of the listening sessions will occur Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio. Click here for a full list of Farm Bill Listening Sessions.

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 14th, 2006 at 3:41 pm and is filed under Agriculture Programs, Rural America. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.