08/11/06 U.S. Needs New Farm Bill

U.S. needs new Farm Bill. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. House Ag Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte is not swayed by arguments that writing a new farm bill now would put the U.S. at a disadvantage from a negotiating standpoint if World Trade talks resume. According to Goodlatte - the U.S. would be at a greater disadvantage if they haven't written a new farm bill when WTO talks resume. Goodlatte says that would invite negotiators in Geneva to write farm policy for the U.S... GOODLATTE: I am very much dedicated to continuing the path that we have been going down now all year long holding farm bill field hearings. We've completed the full committee field hearings now and in September we will begin the process of hearing from a wide array of different farm and conservation and research and trade and other organizations. Of course - Goodlatte says he'd be willing to consider a delay if a WTO deal is on the horizon. GOODLATTE: But not having seen that and knowing that the American Farm Bureau and a whole host of other farm organizations and other organizations have changes they would like to make to the current farm bill, in fact I think in their statements they said to continue the current farm bill with changes. That effectively means that we had to go through this process anyway. Goodlatte says that's the case whether it's tweaks or big changes farm groups want - or changes dictated by budget limits - or WTO legal challenges like the successful Brazil case against U.S. cotton. GOODLATTE: The environment is not good in terms of lawsuits being brought by other countries against other of our commodity programs and therefore reviewing all this and finding the most successful ways to continue to promote American agriculture and help our farmers and ranchers will be a big part of the discussions as we move forward with the hearings in Washington in September. But regardless of how a new farm bill's written - Goodlatte says the goal will still be to protect the bottom line for America's producers. GOODLATTE: To get the resources that are needed, to assure that America's farmers and ranchers do remain competitive in the international marketplace but that we are also looking at our new opportunities in promoting energy, production from renewable resources which agriculture and forestry have a tremendous contribution to make and that we are addressing a number of conservation concerns and that we're addressing the opportunity to continue to press through open markets around the world. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.