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Johnson likes what he’s hearing from House leadership on Farm Bill

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from NFU

Boehner Responds To Obama Statement On Debt TalksNational Farmers Union President Roger Johnson issued the following statement upon reports that Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner, R-Ohio, will support the 2013 Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act:

“It is promising to hear that House leadership is embracing the 2013 Farm Bill and its importance to all Americans. I also applaud Reps. Lucas and Peterson for their bipartisan leadership in getting the bill to the floor. In order to provide certainty for U.S. family farmers and ranchers, it is critical that the farm bill continues making progress toward conference and final passage prior to the Sept. 30, deadline.

“FARRM makes significant, much-needed reforms to agriculture programs, including significant deficit reduction. The farm bill also prevents the necessity for emergency ad hoc disaster programs, which almost always represents deficit spending.

“NFU also supports the bill’s elimination of direct payments. American farmers need a safety net in times of natural disaster and long-term price collapse, not when conditions are more favorable. We will continue to work with members of Congress through the passage in the House and conference process to ensure that we end up with a comprehensive, five-year bill that is the best that it can be.”

 

Survey: U.S. Consumers Support COOL

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From the Consumer Federation of America earlier this week:

Survey results, released today by the Consumer Federation of America, show that a large majority of Americans continue to strongly support mandatory country of origin labeling for fresh meat and strongly favor requiring meat to be labeled with even more specific information about where the animals were born, raised and processed.

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson was quick to tout the survey findings.

“The survey results are a further indication of what we have known for some time: Consumers overwhelmingly want to know more about the origins of their food, and farmers and ranchers want to provide this information,” said Johnson.” These findings, coupled with the recent withdrawal of two short-sighted amendments to the Senate and House’s respective farm bills that would have negatively impacted Country-of-Origin Labeling, are promising indications that country-of-origin labeling is vitally important and here to stay.”

CFA’s survey also found that 87 percent of respondents favor USDA requiring labels on meat which state in which country or countries the animal was born, raised and processed. In some cases, animals processed for consumer food products may actually be born in one country and raised and/or processed in different nations.

Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling, also known as COOL, was passed as a part of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 and amended in the 2008 Farm Bill, going into effect in 2008, with regulations being put forward in 2009.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently required the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adjust its rules requiring American retailers to label certain foods with the country (or countries) in which the animals are born, raised, or slaughtered. The WTO said that while the United States can require meat labeling, current U.S. COOL rules do not meet WTO standards. The WTO has given the United States until May 23, 2013, to bring its COOL rules into compliance.

On March 8, USDA submitted a proposed amended rule on COOL compliance to bring the U.S. into compliance with WTO. You can follow the process and view comments which were submitted on the proposed rule here.

The telephone survey was undertaken by ORC International May 9 – 12 , 2013, using a split sample of landlines and cell phones. The margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points. The survey results are available here and the survey methodology is available here .

NFU: Congress Should Pass Farm Bill in Lame Duck Session

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Linda Borton and other Ohio Farmers Union leaders participated in the Farm Bill NOW Rally on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. in September. OFU joined the National Farmers Union and Farm Bureau Federation and many other ag groups to demonstrate the need for swift passage of the 2012 Farm Bill.

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson issued the following statement after the Sept. 30 expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill.

“It is disappointing that House leadership made the decision to not act on a farm bill before yesterday’s expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill, despite indications that there were enough votes to pass the bill. We are hopeful that, with the pressures of the November elections behind them, Congress will commit to making a concerted, proactive effort to pass a comprehensive, five-year farm bill in the lame duck session. We look forward to working with members of Congress and all interested parties during the lame duck session to ensure that a farm bill can be completed by year’s end.

“The lame duck session will feature a plethora of important issues that have also gone unresolved by this Congress, including the sequestration process, numerous tax and spending issues, and U.S. Postal Service reform. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that House Speaker John Boehner brings the farm bill to the floor early in the session to ensure it can be conferenced and finalized before Congress returns to their districts yet another recess in December.

“The longer Congress drags its feet, the harder their inaction will be felt by farmers, ranchers and, ultimately, all Americans.”

 

NFU’s Johnson blasts Congress on idea to extend 2008 Farm Bill

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Wasn’t there a time in America when the good people who represent us in Congress could lay aside political differences and do serious public policy when the nation faced emergency? Wouldn’t you say that the worst U.S. drought since the 1950s might be just such an emergency?

Leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives think differently. The latest proposal is to lay aside the Senate Farm Bill (passed) and the House Farm Bill (through committee) and just extend the current law. Here’s what National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson said today on the subject:

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Senate passes 2012 Farm Bill in bipartisan vote, 64-35

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Ohio Senators: Brown, a ‘yea,’ Portman, a ‘nay’

NFU supportive, process moves to a dysfunctional House

The 2012 version of the Farm Bill which delivers $23 billion in deficit reduction and moves the agricultural safety net away from direct payments and toward a beefed up crop insurance program as two of its major features passed the U.S. Senate today by a vote of 64-35.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, (D-OH), voted for the measure. Sen. Rob Portman, (R-OH), voted against the bill.

“The bipartisan, Senate-passed farm bill is the most significant reform of U.S. agriculture in decades – saving taxpayers $23 billion while investing in Ohio’s number one industry,” Brown said.

“This farm bill is forward thinking, yet realistic. The centerpiece of the bill’s deficit reduction efforts is based on a bill I authored with my colleague, Sen. (John) Thune, (R-SD) that would end the era of paying farmers for crops that they don’t grow and replace direct payments with market-based supports that’s more responsive to farmers and taxpayers. This farm bill is a jobs and innovation bill, an economic relief and development bill, and it affects every American every day,” added Brown, the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in 40 years.

The National Farmers Union issued two statements today – one urging passage of the bill and one congratulating senators on the achievement after its passage. NFU President Roger Johnson said he’s pleased with many of the provisions in the Senate bill such as mandatory funding for renewable energy programs. Although supportive of the bill’s move away from direct payments to support agriculture in the U.S., Johnson remains concerned about long-term price declines.

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NFU wants public comment on extension of commodity trading to 22 hours per day

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NFU President Roger Johnson sent a letter to Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Gary Gensler on Thursday urging the chairman to establish a 30-day public comment period to discuss the extension of electronic commodity trading up to 22 hours per day.

“The decision of the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and CME Group to expand trading to 22 hours per day has alarmed numerous NFU members, many of whom are involved in the cash grains market,” said Johnson. “Many have concerns about the volatile price swings that occur when U.S. Department of Agriculture reports are released. Additionally, expanded trading creates uncertainty regarding the availability of accurate and updated bids from grain purchasers after the open outcry trading day has closed with an established settlement price but electronic markets remain open. These are very reasonable concerns that must be answered.”

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Johnson to House Committee: Farm Bill Must Include Protection Against Long Term Price Collapse

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WASHINGTON  – National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management today, reviewing commodity programs for the 2012 Farm Bill. Johnson urged committee members to include provisions to deal with a long-term collapse in commodity prices.

“The farm bill passed by the Senate Committee on Agriculture contained a number of positive aspects, but one thing that it did not include was a way to deal with a long-term commodity price collapse,” said Johnson. “The farm bill must include a program such as the Market-Driven Inventory System (MDIS), which helps to ensure commodity prices do not fall to a price where family farmers can no longer make a living. MDIS utilizes a system of farmer-owned commodity inventories, loan rates, and other policy tools to accomplish this goal. Alternatively, increased and balanced target prices can be designed to cushion the impact of very low commodity prices, although this approach is likely to cost more.”

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NFU applauds Senate Ag Committee Passage of 2012 Farm Bill

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WASHINGTON (April 26, 2012) – National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson issued the following statement after the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry passed the 2012 Farm Bill out of committee by a 16-5 vote:

“NFU is pleased to see the 2012 Farm Bill voted out of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry in a bipartisan vote. This represents progress toward providing a fiscally responsible farm safety net directed to family farmers and ranchers. The bill’s investment in rural America will create jobs and opportunities for farmers to continue providing energy and conservations benefits to all Americans.

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Contact your federal legislators about a Market Driven Inventory System for the Farm Bill

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If you’re not up to speed on MDIS – the Market Driven Inventory System being advocated for the next Farm Bill by the National Farmers Union, you should be – and so should your representatives in Congress.

MDIS is a farm program framework that smooths out market volatility and allows farmers to make their living on what they produce and not through government payments. NFU and the creators of MDIS, the University of Tennessee’s Agricultural Policy Analysis Center, have been working on research to show that MDIS would save taxpayers money by cutting direct government payments to farmers while continuing to provide a market stability-based security net.

“(MDIS) is an agricultural commodity program that mitigates price volatility, providing advantages to livestock producers, the biofuels industry, and to hungry people in this country and around the world. In addition, it would reduce government expenses, increase the value of crop exports, and maintain net farm income over time,” NFU President Roger Johnson recently told a Congressional committee.

Johnson and others have been educating Congress on MDIS, it’s time you learned more and joined the effort.

First:

Go to the MDIS page at the NFU website. Familiarize yourself with some of the basics and ask yourself, “What would this policy mean for my farm and my business?”

Then:

Contact your legislator and let them know in your own words why you support MDIS in the Farm Bill. In Ohio our U.S. Senators are Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman – they need to hear from you and know this is a serious, win-win policy proposal for farmers and taxpayers. Follwing this link will take you to a tool where you can determine who your member of Congress is and contact them as well. Use the zip code lookup.

 

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