Op-Ed: The Farm Bill Big Deal
By Garrett Hawkins
As a little kid Saturday evenings in our house almost always
found my parents in the living room watching a re-run of “Hee Haw.” Cartoons
would have been my preference, but my father didn’t ask for my input. We had
one television in our small house and only a few channels from which to
choose. So I sat on our couch and
laughed right along with him. I can still hear Roy Clark crooning, “Where, oh
where, are you tonight? Why did you leave me here all alone?”
The country tune may be about love gone wrong, but the first
two lines are easily changed to capture the feelings of farmers right now.
“Where, oh where, is the farm bill tonight? Why did Congress leave me here all
alone?”
Most Americans are not aware the 2008 farm bill, the law
containing many of our nation’s farm and food policies, expired September 30.
They really have no reason to know. Farmers and ranchers are still harvesting
crops, milking cows, feeding their animals and handling their daily duties. The
food supply chain continues to process, market and deliver goods. Grocery store
shelves and cases remain full.
So what’s the big deal? Farmers and ranchers affected by the
worst drought in decades will have to wait longer for livestock disaster
assistance programs to be reinstated. In addition, no safety net is in place to
help dairy farmers deal with record high feed costs. Programs used to promote
American farm products overseas lapsed, as did programs dealing with energy,
agricultural research and rural development.
Farmers can be relieved that crop insurance is not affected,
and commodity-specific programs remain in place for this year’s crop. Nutrition
programs, the biggest chunk of the farm bill in terms of overall spending
(nearly 80 percent), continue to be funded.
The big deal is the uncertainty caused by the lapse. Farmers
are ready to move past this year and prepare for the next. Decisions need to be
made and steps taken to secure financial assistance from lending institutions.
Not knowing the final details of new farm programs or when to expect a new farm
bill makes the task more difficult. Many other people interested in farm bill
programs, from conservation to research, are ready for new legislation, too.
Congress is scheduled to get back to its legislative work
once the campaign season is over. Members of Missouri’s Congressional
delegation are ready to finish the farm bill. Let’s hope their colleagues are
ready to do the same because continued gridlock is nothing to “hee haw”
about.
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(Garrett Hawkins, of Jefferson City, Mo. is director of
national legislative programs for the Missouri Farm Bureau)
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