CMjncwtw Farming, Saturday, December 23, 1995 Farm Agreement Far Cry From Promised Reform WASHINGTON, D.C. “While congressional Republi cans swept into power on cam paign promises of reform, the agriculture agreement reached by Republican budget conferees per petuates the same old bureaucracy and even has the audacity to set up a new welfare system,” said Ice land Swenson, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU). In addition, Swenson said the agreement would lower producer incomes, reduce conservation benefits, and potentially do away with local control of agriculture committees. The agriculture; con ference committee re cently announced that its GOP members bad reached an agreement on language that will govern farm programs into the 21st century and beyond. The agree ment melds Senate legislation on farm pro grams with House Agri culture Committee Chairman Pat Robert’s, Kan., Freedom to Farm Act. According to Swen son, NFU vehemently opposes the conference committee agreement because it would; • Lower farm in comes by institutional izing low commodity prices via low loan rates. Current loan rates H.e. $2.58 for wheat, :jl .89 for com), which are now set below the cost of production, could NEVER be aised, only lowered. • Increase nonpaid (flex) acres from 15 to 30 pci cent • Put more land into production by eliminat : ig set asides and re ducing funding for the Conservation Reserve Program. This will plunge production agri culture into a cycle of lower prices and higher levels of environmental degradation. • Convert farm pro grams, which were de vised to stabilize food supplies and price into a welfare program by de coupling farm pay ments from production. Farmers could even plant nothing and still receive payments. • Virtually prevent beginning farmers from entering production agriculture by limiting farm program participa tion to those who have participated prior to 1995. • Raise Commodity Credit Corporation in terest rates, thereby re ducing farm incomes. • Eliminate the Far mer Owned Reserve Program. • Retain the triple en tity provision, enabling the largest producers to continue' to receive large benefits. Not only does this quickly drain limited funding for farm programs, it maintains the image of “rich farmers on the govern ment dole.” • Nearly render federal crop in surance insolvent since producers can choose not to participate. Federal crop insurance was only recently improved in order that crop insurance be used in place of ad hoc disaster assistance. • Eliminate the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Pro gram. According to NFU, some of the more obscure provisions in the agreement will eventually exact the greatest impact on American agriculture. “It repeals the 1938 and 1949 agricultural acts, which estab lished our farm policy infrastruc ture from local U.S. Department of Agriculture committees to die Commodity Credit Corporation,” said Larry Mitchell, head of NFU’s government relations of fice. “The elimination of these structures indicates Congress’ sin cerity in completely abolishing farm programs over seven years. “When Farmers Union produc- Annual Tree CHAMBERSBURG (Franklin Co.) The annual tree seedling sale of the Franklin County Con servation District is in progress. This excellent stock comes from a state certified nursery. This year’s seedlings must be pur chased in bundles of 25 per spe cies. This insures you of receiving first quality seedlings since pack ets will not have to be opened ers met with President Clinton at the White House earlier in the week, they left feeling assured that the president will veto budget re conciliation, in part, because of what it would do to family farm ers,” said Mitchell. NFU supports the Family Farm Empowerment Act, a farm bill al- Seedling Sale upon arrival from the nursery. Seedlings offered this year in clude (with 2S/bundle prices in parenthesis): Spanish Scotch Pine ($6.50), white pine ($8.50), Dou glas fir ($7.25), Colorado blue spruce ($7), Norway spruce ($8), Japanese black pine ($7), concolor fir ($9), Canadian hemlock ($7,75), red maple ($8.50), Chin ese chestnut ($11), and white ash tentative introduced in Congress in October, which would save the federal government $S billion over five years by capping loan amounts. The provisions of this legislation would also simplify farm programs, reduce red tape, and leave federal programs less vulnerable to abuse. Under Way ($10.25). Fertilizer briquettes are also being offered at $3 per 25. If you are interested in ordering seedlings, please contact the Franklin County Conservation District, 550 Cleveland Avenue, Chambersburg, or call (717) 264-8074 for an order form. All orders must be prepaid. Deadline fra ordering seedlings is Feb. 2.
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