On March 23, Chairman Frank Lucas continued the House Agriculture Committee’s field hearing series in Galesburg, Illinois. It was the second of four hearings to be held across the country throughout March and April to gather input in advance of writing the 2012 Farm Bill. Members took testimony from Midwest producers of corn, rice, soybeans, wheat, sorghum, specialty crops and beef. Witnesses expressed the importance of developing policy that appreciates and recognizes the risks involved with growing food and fiber. They stressed the need for an effective safety net and a choice of risk management tools so farmers can continue to produce a stable food supply and compete in the global marketplace.
Here are excerpts of testimony presented during the hearing.
“I urge you to consider streamlining farm program paperwork and the near-endless amount of information that must be provided. A vast majority of Illinois farmland is owned by someone other than who physically operates the land. Absentee landowners are reaching the end of their desire to comply with all of the requirements for farm program participation. Their frustration will only lead to lower participation or increase the likelihood of cash-only rental arrangements, which only compounds the risk that farmers must bear.”
David Erickson, corn and soybean producer
Altona, Illinois
“I believe everyone receiving federal USDA dollars should share equally in reductions. During the late 1990s, there was public outcry over congressionally approved crop disaster payments. Crop insurance in its current form is the most effective answer to short crop years. Any producer who desires an effective risk management tool can purchase crop insurance. Agriculture will accept reductions in FSA programs for crop insurance to survive.”
Craig Adams, corn, soybean, wheat, hay and beef producer
Leesburg, Ohio
“A strong Conservation Title is important for production agriculture. NRCS and SWCDs are the key delivery system at the local level. The availability of program funding and CTA allow the implementation of conservation practices as long-term investments in the protection of our natural resources.”
Jane Weber, specialty crop producer
Bettendorf, Iowa
“Given the likely possibility that a new farm program would have less certainty for the producer (a likely decrease or elimination of direct payments) and will therefore be designed to provide assistance only in loss situations, the program should not be limited based on arbitrary dollar limits, i.e. assistance should be tailored to the size of loss. A producer should not be precluded from participating in a farm program because of past income experience. Any internal program limits on assistance should be percentage-based (i.e. 25 percent of an expected crop value) and not discriminate based on the size of farm.”
John Williams, sorghum, corn, wheat and soybean producer
McLeansboro, Illinois
“First and foremost, please do no harm to Federal Crop Insurance, which should be preserved, protected and strengthened. We strongly oppose any further legislative or administrative cuts to Federal Crop Insurance, and we oppose carrying conservation compliance or other rules applicable to the Farm Bill over to this critical risk management tool that we, as producers, help pay for. We also believe that improvements to Actual Production History (APH), continued availability of enterprise units and the ability to stack supplemental areawide coverage on top of individual coverage can all work to help erase at least a part of a producer’s deductible.”
John Mages, corn and soybean producer
Belgrade, Minnesota
“In my estimation NRCS, and the EQIP program, needs further funding and expansion. This is a very efficient and effective way to get conservation on the ground. I believe many other programs’ needs can be accomplished through EQIP and allowing prioritization to fit financial budgets. There is an attitude currently that, since EQIP is receiving funding, those funds can be rediverted to underfunded special interest programs, and this has to be curtailed. The NRCS EQIP system already is set up to allow states to cater the funding to localized needs, thus improving effectiveness of monies spent.”
Terry Davis, corn and soybean producer
Roseville, Illinois
“My family believes that farm programs play an important role in underpinning the strength of the farm economy, which supports the overall U.S. economy. The importance of an effective safety net for farm income has grown as the rising cost of farm inputs has increasingly pressured farm profitability. We recognize that, in the current budget environment, farm programs are a target for interests that either oppose them in principle or want to fund other priorities. I am willing to accept our fair share of budget costs but in proportion with other programs that may be explored for budget cuts. Our family supports ways to make farm programs more efficient, effective and defensible.”
Deborah Moore, corn, soybean and beef producer
Roseville, Illinois
