For Immediate Release
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Contact: Josh Moenning
(402) 438-1598
Washington, DC - Congressman Jeff Fortenberry has urged the House Agriculture Committee to adjust farm payment limitations and curb excesses of the current system. The Committee is in the process of completing its 2007 Farm Bill proposal.
“Effective payment limitations should be a part of this Farm Bill,” Fortenberry said. “I believe the Agriculture Committee has the responsibility and opportunity to affect this change. In the year 2003, ten percent of farmers received nearly 68 percent of all support payments. The current system is not healthy for a vibrant, diversified agriculture sector and cannot be sustained. We need a thoughtful and balanced approach."
The House Agriculture Committee will undertake a farm bill proposal shortly. Initial attempts to include payment limitations language have been stopped. Fortenberry earlier introduced legislation to close multiple entity loopholes and enforce existing limits.
"An effective payment limitation system may also allow savings to be redirected to help new emerging trends in agricultural diversification, ag-based energy production, and conservation efforts,” Fortenberry said. “If the agriculture leaders don't embrace this change, it may be imposed from without. Legislative attempts have been made already to rewrite farm legislation outside of the normal committee structure.”
"America's farm policy has helped create the strongest agricultural system in the world. However, our farmers deserve responsible, meaningful reform consistent with the best of our family farm traditions."
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