Congressional ag leaders trying to write farm bill for super committee
Farm and Ranch October 27, 2011 November 1st is the date leaders of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees have circled to get a detailed list of 2012 farm policy suggestions, in effect a farm bill, to the deficit reduction super committee. The committee chairs and ranking members are working to come up with 23-billion dollars in ag program savings. House Ag Committee Chair Frank Lucas says they are not close to a deal…yet. Lucas: “We have been trying to war game policy wise different options, different perspectives. How do you come up with a way to provide a safety net that is functional in all regions and in all commodity groups using crop insurance and some form of revenue insurance? That is the challenge now the principals, the four of us, are discussing. How do you come up with a way to continue to meet the needs of production ag with the dollars that are available?” Lucas wants to provide certainty for producers like they have had with the direct payment, but finding a replacement for that is not easy. Lucas: “How do you come up with a way to tighten up crop insurance and potentially create a revenue proposal that would take the place of the certainty the direct payment provided. I don‘t know that such language exists now but that is one of the options we are in great discussions on.” Lucas says there is no guarantee any agreement will be reached. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net. ?
