Berry says House Farm Bill not great but could be worse
Aug. 9, 2007Contact Information:
By Howell Medders, U of A Division of Agriculture, 479-575-5647, hmedders@uark.edu.
STUTTGART, Ark. -- U.S. Rep. Marion Berry of Gillett told visitors to the Rice Research and Extension Center field day here Wednesday that the draft of a Farm Bill approved by the House of Representatives is “not what I wanted, but not as bad as it could be.”
A member of the House Appropriations Committee, Berry said he worked to assure that funds were appropriated to support a Farm Bill at least at the same level as the current 2002 law.
Berry spoke at the end of a morning-long field day that featured research by scientists in the University of Arkansas System’s Division of Agriculture. The Division of Agriculture center is one of the world’s leading centers for rice production research.
Berry didn’t get into specifics during his short talk, but praised House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota for listening to all agricultural interests.
“Everyone was at the table in developing the bill,” Berry said, adding that major provisions of the bill have a good chance of becoming law after the Senate and House versions are reconciled.
“Historically, the Mid-South and upper Mid-West have not gotten along about farm policy,” Berry said. But Peterson has a good appreciation for Arkansas agriculture thanks in part to several years of duck-hunting trips hosted by Berry, he said.
Berry said he believes Peterson’s leadership set a tone for closer cooperation by agricultural groups and environmental groups, which will result in Senate passage of a bill that closely resembles the House bill.
Eric Wailes, a Division of Agriculture agricultural economist, said the House bill is not as good for most Arkansas farmers as the current 2002 Farm Bill, but it is much better than the Farm Bill proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Wailes’ said the analysis by himself, graduate student Jeffrey Hignight and division economists Rob Hogan and Brad Watkins, is based on the impacts on eight “representative panel farms” from different areas of eastern Arkansas. The panel farms are based on data compiled from five or six cooperating producers in each area. Division economists use them to analyze economic impacts of policy decisions, technology and other developments.
One provision of the House bill, the addition of an optional revenue-based counter-cyclical program, could benefit some rice farmers, Wailes said.
“Rice farmers should seriously consider their choice to enroll in the new revenue-based program if it remains in the Farm Bill,” Wailes said.
Counter-cyclical payments are available for covered commodities whenever the effective price is less than the target price. The House bill would update base yields and increase revenue support over the current price-based program, Wailes said.