WASHINGTON (Oct. 19, 2007)—A letter from 15 organizations sent to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Chambliss “to urge prompt action on 2007 farm legislation” underscores the need to complete the farm bill in 2007.
These organizations—representing a wide array of commodities and farmers and ranchers from across the U.S. wrote—urged prompt action on the farm bill, noting that current law has already expired:
“We are encouraged by the announcement that you and your colleagues have reached agreement on a framework on budget and policy options….As you know, important provisions of current farm law have recently expired. Farmers and ranchers need to have policy in place in order to make well-informed financing, cropping and marketing decisions. And, it is important to farmers and ranchers, rural communities and other stakeholders to have conservation, nutrition, energy, risk management, trade, research and other policies in place as soon as possible.”
The letter was signed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Sugar Alliance, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the National Cotton Council, the National Farmers Union, USA Rice Federation and others.
The Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to mark up the bill next week which would then clear it for a full debate and vote on the Senate floor soon thereafter.