Farm Budget Cuts & Storage Facility Loans. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Farm state GOP Senators wrote President Obama opposing his proposed budget cuts to farm programs in a tough economy. Pat Roberts, Saxby Chambliss, Thad Cochran, John Thune and several others argue that - while spending must be reined in - producers already sacrificed in the 2008 Farm Bill - which made several billion in farm and crop insurance program cuts. Roberts says USDA now wants billions in new cuts. And Ag Chair Collin Peterson fully expects budget cuts to mandatory farm programs.

PETERSON: How are you going to get this deficit done? You’re not going to do it by freezing discretionary spending that takes that stuff off the table; I mean you are kidding yourself. So does that mean we’re going to run a trillion and a half dollar deficits for the next 4 years? I think at some point given the politics we’ve got to do something.

USDA’s Farm Storage Facility Loan program has been amended to allow producers to build cold storage facilities to store their fresh fruits and vegetables. In making the announcement, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said the - Expand the Farm Storage Facility Loan program will provide our nation's fruit and vegetable producers with new storage and marketing opportunities. USDA's program will help these producers finance the purchase, construction, or refurbishment of these important farm storage facilities. To be eligible, cold storage facilities must have a useful life of 15 years and includes: new structures, coolers, circulating and monitoring equipment, electrical equipment and modification to existing facilities.

Now here’s today’s Washington Grange Report.

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That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.