Dear Senators Harkin and Lugar:
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has appreciated the opportunity to work with you over the past two years to develop recommendations for the first Farm Bill of the new century. A financially healthy and profitable agricultural sector is essential to the production of a safe, fresh, and affordable food supply. Moreover, economically viable farming and ranching enterprises will enable producers to increase their efforts to maintain a healthy environment, protect our natural resources and build stronger rural communities. We stand ready to work with Congress and the Administration to finalize legislation that will achieve our mutual goals.
During our mid-year conference in Washington last week, our members identified many priority issues that we believe are essential to successful federal agricultural policy. A number of these are addressed in either the House or Senate version of the Farm Bill, but a number of them are outside the scope of the Farm Bill. We have included a copy of our full report and recommendations, but as you begin conference committee deliberations on the Farm Bill, through this letter we would like to call your attention specifically to the following recommendations, which represent our collective and consensus voice as the chief agricultural officers of the fifty states and four territories.
• Support the Senate language (S.1482) for the Animal Health Protection Act. Antiquated rules hinder the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) ability to respond to outbreaks that could threaten the $107 billion U.S. animal agriculture industry and our nation's biosecurity.
• Adopt language supporting a plan of insurance that includes quality loss adjustment coverage. Current regulations do not accept the results of sampling and grading of grain by state-licensed warehouses for purposes of making quality-loss adjustments to producers under the Federal Crop Insurance Program. We support sampling and grading of grain by state-licensed warehouses.
• Adopt the House language providing $200 million in funding for the Market Access Program (MAP) in the first year.
• Support the Senate provisions (Baucus amendment) which provide $1.8 billion in disaster assistance. This will provide much needed help to farmers and ranchers who are suffering from a multi-year drought and other adverse weather conditions.
• Oppose the Senate language (Reid amendment) that would allow producers in seven states to enroll land in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in exchange for water rights to protect threatened and endangered species. We firmly believe this provision undermines State's water rights and should be removed from the bill.
• Support language regarding interstate meat shipment which requires USDA to conduct comprehensive reviews of state meat inspection programs. In addition, we strongly support expanded language that would actually remove the unfair ban on interstate shipment of state-inspected products. Without change, growing concentration in agriculture will continue to leave smaller farmers and ranchers with fewer buyers for their livestock and poultry, further depressing their financial situation. Allowing interstate shipment of state-inspected meat and poultry products will level the economic playing field, increase the viability of state meat and poultry inspection, improve food safety by creating a more uniform system with one set of rules, enhance consumer confidence in our food supply, and provide consumers with more choices at the supermarket.
• Support recommendations for an Agricultural Stewardship Block Grant Program that is proposed in section 256 of S. 1673 (the Lincoln-Hutchinson bill). This initiative would greatly enhance and compliment the Conservation Security Act and Farmland Stewardship Program proposals contained in the House and Senate bills. The stewardship block grants will provide a better "toolbox" to meet conservation needs, reach all producers, give states greater flexibility to address their most critical problems, target resources where most needed, and simplify program delivery.
• Oppose the Senate language on school pesticide management. This provision is cumbersome, mandates unworkable pest management procedures, and places unnecessary costs on schools and states when such resources could be better utilized.
• Support a permanent authorization of the specialty crop block grant program which was recently enacted as part of emergency farm assistance legislation. (P.L. 107-25). This new, strengthened state-federal partnership is critical to the more efficient and effective delivery of programs. It will give states the flexibility to set priorities and find innovative ways to address the various economic challenges faced by farmers and ranchers.
• Support Senate language providing $15 million in funding for the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Programs (FMNP) this year, and authorization of the Senior FMNP at $25 million annually, with those funds not being contingent upon whether other federal program may need additional monies. We also support additional language requesting that the Senior FMNP appropriation provide 17% for administrative costs, as does the WIC FMNP. FMNP has increased the number and strength of farmers' markets across the U.S., helping to sustain thousands of small family farms and generate new demand for locally grown produce.
Our goal has been to offer policy proposals that respond to the realities of agriculture today, reflect diverse regional needs, and provide farmers and ranchers with the necessary tools to succeed in today's global marketplace. We hope these recommendations will be useful to your deliberations. Our staff is ready to assist you in any manner. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact them in the NASDA Washington office at (202) 296-9680.
Sincerely,
<signed>
Billy Ray Smith, President
Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Agriculture
c: Members of the Senate
* Read NASDA's 21st Century Farm Policy Initiative Report in PDF Format
Sincerely,
<signed>
Billy Ray Smith, President
Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Agriculture
c: Members of the Senate