02/18/05 Five point program for future farm bills

Doctor Barry Flinchbaugh of Kansas State University wants to see changes made in future farm bills. He told the Idaho Ag Summit this week that he'd like to see a five-point program for American agriculture when the next Farm Bill is written in 2007. FLINCHBAUGH "Number one, a direct decoupled payment. The time is rapidly approaching when we will have to end coupled programs. They backfire in a global economy. Even the European Union is beginning to learn that. Number two, conservation. CRP, EQIP and this new program called CSP. Number three, a farmers' savings account. When are we going to get as smart as the squirrels. You know you put the nuts away for the winter. You pay in in a good year, your income falls below a threshold you pull out. Number four, revenue insurance. Not crop insurance, revenue insurance, you insure the bottom line. You get the government out of it. You let private industry do it. Then number five, energy. 20 percent from agriculture by 2025." And Flinchbaugh says the government will always be involved, like it or not. FLINCHBAUGH "If you believe the government's getting out of agriculture you believe in the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny. They're there to stay. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott