The National Symposium on the Future of Agriculture Aug. 10-11
in
Athens, Ga., concluded with a U.S. House of Representatives
field
hearing. Rep. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), a member of the House
agriculture committee, presided over the hearing.
“We’re coming off of three bad years in agriculture,”
said Chambliss, whose district is one of the most agriculturally
productive in the country, growing peanuts, cotton, tobacco and
many other crops.
Payouts and
Promises
Last year, almost 47 percent of the U.S. net farm income
came from federal government payouts. That percentage is
expected
to be equaled again this year.
“We know that’s not the way we need to operate,”
Chambliss said. “We need to work with commodity groups to get
prices up and keep them at decent levels. People blame the ’96
farm bill, but it’s getting undue criticism. Other problems have
contributed more significantly to this situation.”
When Congress passed the 1996 farm bill, Chambliss said
they also promised farmers they would do four things:
- Offer regulatory relief to allow suppliers to get through
the maze of regulations
faster. It was passed in the House and Senate, but the
President vetoed it. - Offer tax relief. A bill was passed twice in the House and
Senate, but it was vetoed.
The estate tax repeal is going to the president in
September.
They are hopeful the
President will sign it. - Use crop insurance reform as a real risk management tool.
They worked on it five years,
passed it and the President signed it. “Next year you’ll
have more flexibility in
crop insurance than you’ve ever had before,” Chambliss
said. - Turn the American farmer loose on the world market and
compete. But agricultural trade
agreements on the books don’t benefit agriculture.
“We’re competing against countries that heavily
subsidize
their farmers more than we do,” he said. “For several
administrations, we’ve done a poor job of negotiating
agricultural agreements.”
China Agreement Offers New
Promises
The new agreement with China offers new promise.
“This is a world power we have to deal with,” he said.
“They have 2 billion people. They have to eat, and we have the
best-quality agricultural products in the world.”
The national symposium was coordinated by the University
of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.
