05/28/07 After Farm Bill expect focus on USDA structure

Farm and Ranch May 28, 2007 Once Congress gets a new Farm Bill in place House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson says he wants to take a look at the structure and organization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Peterson told reporters late last week he doesn't have a reorganization plan in his pocket, but; Peterson: "You know in private industry we've had significant change in the way they are structured. Most of those big corporations used to be structured in a vertical manner. Now they really have flattened those organizations out which I think gives more accountability. That is one thing I am interested in looking at in USDA. I think they have too much stove piping, too much layers of bureaucracy and with computers and so forth, it may make more sense to have more horizontal organization." Peterson says he believes it was in 1994 that USDA's organization was last really looked at. Peterson: "Once we get the Farm Bill accomplished we are going to have time to delve into this. There are certain parts of the agency I am very interested in taking a look at and we will I think look through the entire structure." The House Ag Committee Chairman says the FSA county office issue and local control versus control from Washington D.C. will definitely be issues looked into. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.