Ready for Challenges

Ready for Challenges. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.
Last week the American Farm Bureau Federation held their 91^st annual meeting in Seattle and there were some very strong words coming from the meeting directed at the other coast. Delegates voted to support balancing the federal budget by 2019 and continue the organization’s strong opposition to cap-and-trade climate legislation being considered by Congress.

STALLMAN: We don’t want any misguided climate change legislation that’s going to downsize American agriculture and put a burden on this country.  We still support all of the same conservation and voluntary incentive-based environmental programs that we have in the past.  That hasn’t changed. 

In a closing news conference, American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman said the delegates also called for meaningful relief from the estate tax.

STALLMAN: We want to be sure that we get the exemption level up, the tax rate down  we want it to extend on out and not just be a one year fix.  We want stepped-up basis and we want indexing for inflation.  So those are all the things we’re going to be seeking through the legislative process.

The delegate decisions showed strong support for the current farm program and called for an improved disaster aid program that reacts quickly and efficiently when disasters occur and helps those who actually suffer losses. 

STALLMAN: What we’ve said is that it should apply to all producers and we should focus it on meeting the needs that are out there as opposed to just putting the money out there in .direct payments to perhaps those who wouldn’t have had a loss. 

He talks about Farm Bureau policies that address concerns about climate change.

STALLMAN: Our policy supports some very direct efforts at reducing carbon use, for solar, wind energy, for incentives to promote that.  We support a renewable electricity standard and then supporting nuclear energy.  I mean, my gosh, that is as low carbon as you can get. 

Stallman discusses policies affecting the dairy industry.

STALLMAN: At the end of the day, we held the line on our tradition of opposing supply management, but still we recognize the pain that’s been felt by the dairy industry and want a workable dairy program.  Basically what we’ve said is we can seek some changes as long as we don’t go to supply management. The dairy price support program we think should be maintained but it obviously could be made better. 

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.