| The Bush administration will not stand in the way of efforts to pass new
agriculture policy this year, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said
Friday.
Veneman spoke about work on new farm policy during a conference call
Friday with North Dakota news reporters.
I think there has been some misunderstanding about what our position
is, Veneman said. Its not that we want to wait until next
September to have a (new) farm bill.
We just want to make sure there is enough time for a deliberative
process and that people not rush into something that is not in the best
interest of farmers. she said.
But some farm-state senators and farm group leaders say time is of the
essence in passing a new farm bill.
If the Senate doesnt pass a new farm bill by years end, about $74
billion set aside to help fund agriculture will likely be spent elsewhere,
said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D.
Conrad and some other farm-state senators say the Bush administration
has tried to delay work on a new farm bill.
Budget Director Mitchell Daniels has assured the Bush administration
and members of Congress that funding for a good farm bill will be
available regardless if it is passed this year or next, Veneman said.
She has gotten some very bad advice, and her job is to be the
advocate for farmers, said Conrad, who chairs the Senate Budget
Committee For her to suggest that the money will be available next year
when even a cursory review of the budget shows otherwise that borders
on total incompetence.
Veneman said if the Senate passes good farm bill legislation, the
president will likely sign it into law.
Gov. John Hoeven said he believes the White Houses position has
softened.
I think they have moved the right way, Hoeven said. The key
right now is that the Senate moves forward.
The House passed a farm bill, the Farm Security Act, Oct. 9. The
proposal, now in the Senate Agriculture Committee, would cost $170 billion
over 10 years and create a new subsidy program to protect grain, soybean
and cotton farmers when prices are low.
The Farm Security Act offers farms a safety net missing under the
current farm bill, but it should still be improved, North Dakota
Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson said.
The current farm bill, Freedom to Farm, expires next September.
The best thing that can be said about it is that its got the
right (amount) of money in it, he said. Its going to take that to
do the right thing for family farmers.
The House plan should include higher loan rates for some crops and
should better target the farmers who need subsidies, said Bob Kjelland,
North Dakota Farmers Union spokesman.
Eric Aasmundstad, president of the North Dakota Farm Bureau, and Al
Christopherson, president of the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation, could
not be reached for comment.
Veneman said the administration has not taken a position on legislation
drafted by Sen. Richard Lugar, the Senate Agriculture Committees
ranking Republican, that would eliminate the nations sugar program.
Under current farm policy, the United States restricts sugar imports to
support domestic sugar prices.
Lugars plan would phase out crop subsidies. Instead, farmers would
receive money to buy revenue protection insurance. |