By DAVE BLOWER JR.
Farm World Editor

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Although admitting it has holes, Indiana Farm Bureau (IFB) President Don Villwock urges lawmakers to pass the latest farm bill proposal.

“This farm bill, while certainly not perfect, represents the best interests of the majority of Indiana’s farmers and other Americans. It increases support for the environment and those in this country who need food assistance while continuing to provide a basic safety net for farmers,” said Villwock, who farms in Knox County.

“Having a farm bill is important to all Hoosiers, not just farmers. The stability of having a farm program is important to production agriculture, but it will also guarantee our continued safe food supply and provide a meaningful nutrition program for the neediest in our communities.”

IFB thanked those Indiana’s congressional delegation who voted for the farm bill.

“The farm bill is expensive and it took some real courage to support it in the face of the president’s promise to veto it,” said Kent Yeager, IFB’s director of public policy. “I think the majority of our delegation realized that this bill, compromise though it was, will serve the best interests of Hoosiers in the long run.” Supporting the bill were Reps. Steve Buyer, André Carson, Joe Donnelly, Brad Ellsworth, Baron Hill, Mark Souder and Pete Visclosky and Sen. Evan Bayh.”

IFB estimates that less than 20 percent of the spending authorized by the farm bill will actually go to farmers – more than 70 percent is earmarked for nutrition programs such as food stamps.

“This farm bill makes investments in nutrition, conservation, specialty crops, renewable energy and rural development programs,” Villwock said. “Lawmakers were able to make these increases in spending while keeping intact the current farm bill’s safety net for farmers.”

“While prices for corn, soybeans and other commodities are near their all-time highs, so are fuel, fertilizer, feed and other production expenses and input costs. Moreover, Indiana’s wet spring has made it extremely difficult for many Hoosier farmers to get their crops in the ground and highlights the potential need for a viable safety net,” he added. “Farm Bureau sincerely appreciates the vote of confidence most of the Indiana congressional delegation has given to production agriculture in our state.”

Illinois and Ohio Corn

These views were similar in other state, too. Both the Illinois Corn Growers Assoc. (ICGA) and the Ohio Corn Growers Assoc. (OCGA) were pleased with the inclusion of the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program in the farm bill.

“Our members are looking for reform in farm legislation that will provide an effective safety net when it is needed most, so we are excited to see the inclusion of the optional (ACRE) program which is revenue based. Past farm bill approaches will not work in this current market environment,” said ICGA President Art Bunting of Dwight, Ill.

The OCGA said the current market environment demonstrates the need for the ACRE program. The optional ACRE program, according to OCGA, allows producers to better manage their farm’s risk.
“OCGA has been working diligently over the last two years in developing a more reform minded Farm Bill and Congress has delivered,” said OCGA President Mark Drewes. “The leadership that U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the first Ohioan to sit on the Senate Agriculture Committee in four decades, has shown during the development of the (ACRE) program cannot be overlooked.”
In addition to Brown, the OCGA said credit also goes to Dr. Carl Zulauf of The Ohio State University.

“Dr. Zulauf was an instrumental part of ACRE’s construction” Drewes added. “His research on ACRE was invaluable in the passage of this program as an option for farmers in the 2008 Farm Bill.”

The ACRE program has been characterized as one of the most significant reforms to farm programs in decades. The program offers a choice to farmers as they can either stay with the current programs that offer little protection in revenue reductions and lower yields as opposed to ACRE that better protects against volatile crop prices, natural disasters, and rising production costs.

The ACRE program is not only reform for producers, the OCGA said, but taxpayers save more than $1 billion in the next five years, as well.

Iowa Soybean Assoc.

Iowa Soybean Assoc. (ISA) President Curt Sindergard said, “We remain hopeful that President Bush will not veto the bill. However, in the event of a veto, we urge our senators and congressmen to continue to support the bill and vote to override veto action.”

The bill includes many of ISA’s priorities, including an increased soybean target price, reauthorization of the CCC Bioenergy Program that allows all gallons of production to qualify, the Biodiesel Education Program and the Quality Incentive Program for high oil soybeans. Sindergard also applauded the many innovative conservation programs included in the bill.

“While compromise is always difficult, we sincerely appreciate the months that the members of Iowa’s delegation, along with their staffs, have spent working out the details of this bill,” Sindergard said. “We appreciate their listening to the needs of Iowa’s soybean producers.”

Michigan senator votes yes