Wisconsin Ag Connection - National/World News - NCGA Urges Congress to Adopt a Strong Revenue-Based Safety Net Program

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NCGA Urges Congress to Adopt a Strong Revenue-Based Safety Net Program
USAgNet - 01/09/2008

With the House of Representatives reconvening Jan. 15 and the Senate following suit on Jan. 22, the National Corn Growers Association is hopeful the 2008 Farm Bill will provide farmers with better targeted and more reliable protection against crop losses. NCGA urges Congress to address producers' risk management needs and commodity prices with an optional revenue-based safety program when the farm bill goes to the House and Senate conference committee.

"The conference committee negotiations are a critical part in the writing of the farm bill," said NCGA President Ron Litterer. "NCGA looks forward to working with the House and Senate conferees and ensuring that an improved risk management tool is included in the farm bill."

Acting U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner noted in a speech last week before members of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association that the farm bill needs additional work to ensure it is not vetoed by the president. A Senate spokeswoman said that work is taking place.

"Staff is working to shape up issues for the members to discuss," Kate Cyrul, majority communications director for the Senate Agriculture Committee, told an agricultural trade publication. "Pre-conference negotiations started the week immediately following Senate passage of the farm bill. In fact, the four principals -- Sens. Harkin, Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Reps. (Collin) Peterson (D-Minn.) and (Bob) Goodlatte (R-Va.) -- met the week of Dec. 17 to lay the ground work for the staff work now going on."