3-4 IAT Farm Problems
Agri-Pulse, a comprehensive weekly report of the latest in agricultural information wrote that Sec. of Agriculture Vilsack predicts that the agriculture sector is facing ‘man-made' problems as the drought continues. The agriculture sector is facing a number of “man-made” problems this year as it continues to contend with the damage from the ongoing drought, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. Speaking at the USDA’s annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, “Managing Risk in the 21st Century,” Vilsack said the looming across-the-board cuts from the scheduled sequestration has created great uncertainty among farmers who rely on the department’s programs. I talked with Idaho Farm Bureau reporter and blogger, Jake Putnam. “Furloughs will begin at the USDA anywhere from 30 to 120 days from now. It’s complicated because we have lots of different labor agreements. Another issue facing farmers this year is the possibility of an immigration reform package becoming law. A good portion” of the nation’s farm workers “are not legal” and more workers are needed. We have crops that were grown, but not harvested, because there were not enough hands.
