04/27/07 Farm bill recommendations

As reported the other day the American Farm Bureau president has proposals that it would like to see included in the new farm bill. One proposal by AFB President Bob Stallman calls for haying but not grazing on Conservation Reserve Program land. STALLMAN "Along with environmental restrictions as to how that is done to be sure that we don't lose the environmental benefits on that CRP acreage and we feel that we can use some of those acres as working lands but we would also at the same time anticipate a reduction in the CRP rental payment rate for the privilege of doing that." Farm Bureau also supports a standing catastrophic assistance program integrated with a crop insurance program when producers have a 50 percent or greater crop loss. STALLMAN "It's really meant to solve this annual problem we have with freezes, droughts, floods, whatever the case may be." The American Farm Bureau doesn't want to see changes in payment limitations but does support a revenue based counter cyclical program. Stallman says as a general farm organization Farm Bureau takes all of agriculture into account. He says he doesn't have the luxury of seeking more money for one commodity or group because it comes at the expense of someone else. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott