Pennsylvania Farm Bureau supports proposed farm bill

By ERIN HIPPLE — Express Staff Writer
LOCK HAVEN — With the U.S. Congress recently passing a five-year farm bill, and word that President Bush is likely to veto that bill, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is sticking up for the legislation.

The bureau believes the bill, with a 10-year budget, brings benefits to everyone, both farmers and citizens alike.

According to Carl Shaffer, PFB president, 74 percent of the $3 billion farm bill will go toward nutrition programs, school snacks and food stamps, while the other 26 percent is what farmers may see.

However, it is not set in stone that farmers will receive monetary incentives from the bill. Rather, in order to collect the payment, there are several stringent guidelines including, for a conservation subsidy, farmers must develop, implement and monitor a conservation plan for every acre they farm.

And the agricultural subsidy payments, a large reason for debate within Congress, will only find their way to the farmers if commodities like cotton and soybean prices drop.

“There are a lot of guidelines for farmers to receive the payments,” said Shaffer.

One reason that Shaffer believes Pres. Bush plans to veto the bill is because the president has said the bill does not have enough reform.

In comparison with the last farm bill, which was from 2002 to 2007, this particular bill has a $40 billion commodity reduction. Also, an increased $8 billion will go toward conservation and much less money will find its way into farmers’ pockets, said Shaffer.

Shaffer said these subsidy programs are only implemented when farmers see a loss of production or commodity price collapses.

In opposition to Bush’s reasoning for likely vetoing the farm bill, Shaffer said direct reforms include cutting direct payments to farmers and an increasing environmental protection programs, teamed with funding to fight hunger across the nation.

With 318 votes from the House and 87 votes from the Senate, the recently-passed farm bill should qualify as “veto proof.” However, it is believed that Pres. Bush will veto this bill, causing Congress to re-vote the issue.

If the president vetoes the bill, it would be sent back to Congress and would need a two-thirds majority to pass, or 291 votes in the House and 67 in the Senate.

However, if either the House or Senate does not come up with its required number of votes, the bill will be “dead,” and Congress would have to add an extension to the original bill in order to be acceptable to President Bush.