U.S. House Ag Committee to hold farm bill field hearing in PNW
Farm and Ranch April 19, 2010 U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson told reporters Friday that the first hearing focusing on a new farm bill will be held this week. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is to appear before the committee Wednesday. Peterson said the panel will hear from policy experts next week. The House Ag Committee will being field hearings April 30th through May 3rd with one of those scheduled for Boise, Idaho. According to Peterson’s list that would be the only field hearing on the schedule for the Pacific Northwest. The chairman said he is not pushing any particular farm policy but everything should be on the table to start with. That includes direct payments. Peterson: “Is the issue that always comes up, are these direct payments being capitalized into the land value and rents and is that making it more difficult for young farmers to get started. That whole issue. That is part of the debate.” Peterson also explained why the commodity loan program should be examined. Peterson: “The problem with the loan rates is they are so low that they are not really effective and we don‘t have the money to raise them enough to make them work.” Peterson says his goal is providing a safety net for the average commercial production farmer so the U.S. remains a country that not only feeds itself but also feeds a lot of the world. Peterson: “That is what we want to maintain in this country.” I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net. ?
