National Farmers Union

WASHINGTON (Sept. 5, 2006) – With Congress returning from summer recess and the 2002 Farm Bill set to expire in the coming year, more than 250 farmers and ranchers will be in Washington, D.C., next week to make sure Congress keeps rural needs in mind. They will advocate on behalf of emergency disaster assistance, and extension of the 2002 Farm Bill, fuels from the farm and fair trade.

During National Farmers Union’s legislative fly-in, Sept. 10 - 13, participants will request that Congress pass emergency disaster assistance before it goes on recess on November. Farmers and ranchers nationwide have experienced overwhelming losses from weather-related disasters in 2005 and 2006. They will renew the call for Congress to help offset the severe losses suffered in 2005 and 2006.

“Congress should immediately pass the Senate Appropriations Committee-approved FY2007 Agriculture appropriations bill, which includes $3.9 billion for emergency agricultural disaster relief,” NFU President Tom Buis said. “But for a long term solution to weather disasters on the farm, Congress must pass a permanent disaster program to assist producers during times of natural disasters without relying upon yearly
ad hoc assistance or the political climate in Washington.”

Producers of food and fiber from across the country will also express their support for legislation that would extend the 2002 Farm Bill for two years, when the budget and international trade climates are more conducive to writing quality legislation. They will present to Congress the opinions collected at NFU’s nationwide listening session series, which were overwhelmingly in favor of an extension of the current policy.

“While we support an extension, when Congress does craft a farm bill, NFU will be ready with suggestions on how to ensure that family farm agriculture is treated fairly,” Buis said. He added that Rural America’s economy has deteriorated at a rapid pace as a result of skyrocketing energy inputs, low commodity prices, and weather-related disasters.

“Extending the 2002 Farm Bill for an additional two years will ensure continuation of our economic safety net and other vital farm bill programs to help producers stay afloat in these tough times,” Buis said.

The farmers and ranchers will also ask Congress to step-up efforts to encourage the use and production of fuels from the farm. America’s addiction to foreign oil is not only threatening its national security but has an impact on the emerging U.S. renewable energy sector and our goal of developing and growing America’s energy independence.

“NFU has long maintained that encouraging the use of renewable fuels will increase domestic demand for surplus farm commodities, lower federal outlays of farm subsidies, improve the environment, and decrease American reliance on foreign oil,” Buis said.

Among several other measures, NFU will ask Congress to expand and accelerate the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) for ethanol, and establish a RFS for biodiesel. Participants will ask senators and representatives to help expand biofuels distribution system, and provide assistance to farmers and ranchers to mitigate the impact of higher energy prices and declining commodity prices.

Fly-in participants will also discuss the “Free Trade Agenda.” Recent trade agreements have failed to address persistent global overproduction capacity, ensure net U.S. agricultural export expansion or increased market share and did not seek coordination and enforcement of competition policies. NFU’s farmers and ranchers will encourage members of Congress to support only trade deals that properly address currency manipulation, environmental standards, and labor standards, in order to create a level playing field for U.S. producers.
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www.nfu.org

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