NFU to Congress: Restore Profitability to Agriculture
For Immediate Release: April 25, 2007
Contact: Liz Friedlander, 202-314-3191Supporting Audio: 3 Tracks
Complete Testimony:
WASHINGTON (April 25, 2007) – National Farmers Union President Tom Buis today urged members of Congress to write a farm bill that creates economic opportunity and restores profitability to family farmers and ranchers. In testimony before the Senate Agriculture Committee, Buis said that profitability from the marketplace, not the government, is where every farmer or rancher wants to receive their income.
NFU members adopted policy provisions to meet this goal during the organization’s annual convention. Read NFU’s farm bill principles here.
Buis highlighted two exciting economic opportunities for rural America – fuels from the farm and consumer demand for fresh, source-verified, direct from the farm food.
“Farmers have wanted to be part of our energy solution for more than 30 years and, through hard work and perseverance, are now able to play a significant role in reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil,” Buis said. “The fastest growing segment of the food business is fresh, locally-grown food. Consumers want to know where their food comes from and are willing to pay for the extra information. I encourage Congress to do all it can to encourage these positive efforts in the decades to come.”
Due to budget rules, the more than $23 billion saved by the 2002 Farm Bill results in a decreased budget baseline. Yet, the 2007 bill must still provide adequate support to the countryside. Buis said NFU believes a counter-cyclical safety net, that includes the cost of production, would provide the same level safety net as the current farm bill while saving $2 to $3 billion per year. The proposal’s savings would be used for the new counter-cyclical program, as well as a permanent disaster program, and still yield savings.
“This level of protection and savings is achieved because federal assistance would only be provided when prices are low,” Buis said. “It would eliminate direct payments, which are inadequate when prices are low and difficult to defend when prices are high.”
Buis also urged the Senate committee to support fair, open markets through a comprehensive competition title and encourage conservation efforts by providing adequate funding to current programs while further investing in new opportunities.
