Press Releases
October 10, 2007
Business Leaders Join Senator on Farm Bill
Conrad: Farm Bill Good for Main Street Businesses
Bismarck – Flanked by North Dakota business and farm leaders, Senator Kent Conrad today briefed the Bismarck community on progress toward completing national farm policy and how that five-year legislation – with its focus on agriculture, energy and nutrition – will impact North Dakota.
“We are seeing serious progress on the Farm Bill, but there is still much to do,” Senator Conrad said. “This Farm Bill is my top priority. This legislation affects more than just farmers – it impacts Main Street businesses, children’s nutritional health and our growing energy industry.”
Joining Senator Conrad at today’s briefing were Dave MacIver, President of the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce, and members of the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Senator Conrad, who is a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said he is in daily talks with both the Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin of Iowa, and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss of Georgia. Senator Conrad said his goal is to build a bipartisan bill that draws a consensus of the committee’s members.
Last Thursday Senator Conrad succeeded in securing an agriculture disaster program as part of the Farm Bill’s tax title. Following a drawn-out battle to get federal relief for farmers and ranchers that saw losses from drought, flood and other natural disasters, Senator Conrad focused on creating a disaster program in the Farm Bill.
“After years of ad-hoc disaster relief, a disaster program makes good economic sense,” said Senator Conrad. “Producers will get the economic stability they need – the assurance that help is on the way following a natural disaster.”
Few bills in Congress are as important to North Dakota as the Farm Bill. Agriculture is the largest sector of the state’s economy, a $4 billion a year industry that employs about one in every five North Dakotans. North Dakota leads the nation in the production of a dozen commodities, including spring wheat, durum, sunflowers, canola, honey and more.
As both Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and a senior member of the Agriculture and Finance Committees, Senator Conrad is playing a key role in Farm Bill negotiations.
