Expected new U.S. House Ag Chair on direct payments and EPA oversight

Farm and Ranch November 4, 2010 The Republican takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to lead to the chairmanship of the House Agriculture Committee going to Frank Lucas of Oklahoma.

Looking towards the next farm bill, Lucas says the budget will be tight and one of the biggest issues is direct payments.

Lucas: “I believe you have to write a farm bill that will work in all of the United States. Not everybody measures their soil in feet. No everywhere does it rain when it is supposed to. We need a farm bill that works for everybody. Those direct payments, which by the way are the most WTO compliant part of the current farm bill, are critically important in our region of the country and I think in much of the country.”

Lucas says congressional oversight of administration actions will be very important in 2011.

Lucas: “There is the GIPSA rule out there at USDA. There are the dust rules. The spray rules. There are a variety of things at EPA that potentially can torment economically and in a practical sense farmers and ranchers. I want to use the oversight process this coming year to not only to prepare for the next farm bill but to say to the administration, stop doing things that are contrary to federal law. That do not make scientific sense and/or are economically detrimental to production agriculture and rural America.”

Lucas says he wants to develop a 2012 farm bill that doesn’t just help farmers and ranchers to survive, but to thrive.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net.