11/05/07 CBO finds more savings in Senate Ag bill

Farm and Ranch November 5, 2007 Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin expects the full Senate to take up the committee passed bill today or tomorrow. It is believed floor action on the legislation could take all week. Since the Senate Ag Committee passed a farm bill out, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated an additional one billion dollars in savings from the Average Crop Revenue or ACR program as details of an amendment by Senator Pat Roberts were worked out. The Ag Committee had agreed to use further savings for nutrition programs like food stamps. However, Senate Ag Majority spokeswoman Kate Cyrul says the optional ACR program is also improved by making the fixed payment on 100 percent of base acres instead of just 85 percent. Cyrul: "The savings are going to come from reduced payment acres for the revenue portion because of the one-time sign up associated with ACR. Basically producers can enroll in either the 2010, 2011, or 2112 crop years and once they sign up they stay in ACR through the end of the farm bill. Other savings also come up because there will be less participation in the direct and county cyclical payment and loan benefits." When the farm bill hit's the Senate floor a major battle is expected over payment limits. There may also be an amendment to put AgJOBS language in the farm bill. If such a controversial immigration amendment were adopted there are those who say it would be a poison pill for the farm bill. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.