News from the American Corn Growers Association / Contact: Keith Dittrich, 402-268-7786, David Senter, 202-331-4348, acga@acga.org
WASHINGTON, DC...February 24, 2000 -- At their recent convention in Las Vegas, the American Corn Growers Association (ACGA) passed a detailed farm bill proposal to address the needs of family farms in the beginning of the new century. The Family Farm Agriculture Recovery and Maintenance (FARM) Act of 2000 is a comprehensive farm bill proposal to replace the current Freedom to Farm legislation. This bill was developed after research by the ACGA on the past five farm bills resulted in the widely discussed and praised "Key Indicators of the Farm Sector, a 25 Year History." This concise graph of key data uncovers the effects past farm policies have had on the business of food production in this country. Using this data, logical farm policy proposals were developed which will work for production agriculture.
This comprehensive bill addresses the current economic emergency on America's farms by enacting long-term legislation to raise and stabilize farm prices and income. Price support levels will be based on a widely recognized prosperous period in modern American agriculture, the decade of the 1970's. Support levels will be established and adjusted annually by a formula that includes inflation affects and productivity gains. The price depressing LDP option would be eliminated. Support will be provided through a simplified CCC commodity loan system. A short-term acreage idling program would be established. At the same time full planting flexibility would be maintained. A farmer-owned reserve would be established in the interests of consumers and grain users. This reserve would hold excess grain stocks off the market until market signals encourage their release. The reserve would also act as a buffer, dampening the effects of low and high production years, thus reducing the need for annual set-asides.
"Congress and the Administration have asked for farm proposals to address agriculture's plight. We have gladly responded and respectfully submit this comprehensive proposal on the behalf of family farmers all around the country," said Keith Dittrich, a farmer from Tilden, Nebraska and President of the ACGA.
The ACGA does not believe that there is any other proposal out there that recognizes how unique the business of farming is. This proposal understands the market realities of agriculture. It then goes at the core issues by giving farmers the tools to adequately price their production and manage their inventory thereby receiving their income from the marketplace instead of income assistance packages from the government.
"In a time of widespread prosperity in this country, the ACGA believes that this nation can do better than develop welfare systems for family farmers as some have proposed. Instead, attempts must be made to redirect farm policy to the advantage of family farmers and US consumers," concluded Dittrich.:
