06/11/07 House Ag Chair talks payment limits

Farm and Ranch June 11, 2007 House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson doesn't know at what level limits may be set in a new farm bill on federal farm program payments. But Peterson says there is one thing you can probably count on. Peterson: "Whatever the payment limits are they will apply across the board not only to the commodity title but to conservation programs and so whatever changes are made as it applies to farmers and crop programs, the same limits will apply to conservation." Peterson told reporters late last week that his committee is also looking at dropping farm program payments on crop bases under 20 acres. Peterson: "In 2006 we had 255,000 farms that had base acres of 10 acres or less. These folks are not really farmers. And it saves over 240-million over ten years. That is something we are looking at. We are now going to have 20 acres scored and see what that does." As far a the Ag Committee timetable, Peterson still is shooting to get a new farm bill out of committee before the July 4th recess. He says House leadership has scheduled floor action on the bill for second week after Congress returns from that recess in July. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.