For Immediate Release, July 21, 2000 / Contact: Washington NFU Office, Clarence White, 202-314-3191, [email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 21, 2000)-National Farmers Union (NFU) today commended the Senate for passage of the fiscal year 2001 agriculture appropriations bill. The legislation, among other things, provides market loss assistance for dairy and livestock producers, funds a biotechnology testing facility, addresses unilateral economic sanctions, and contains vital disaster relief for farmers and ranchers.
"Farmers Union is pleased that the Senate has recognized the need for additional disaster and economic assistance for farmers and ranchers this year," said NFU President Leland Swenson. "In addition to continued low commodity prices, many farmers have been faced with weather related production losses. This package acknowledges the hardship farmers experienced due to market and natural catastrophic disasters beyond their control."
"NFU remains disappointed the Senate failed, once again, to make needed structural reforms to the 1996 farm bill. With commodity prices continuing a "free fall," as evidenced by cash corn prices at $1.06 per bushel in some areas, it is clear a new policy must be approved to address the inadequacies of the Freedom to Farm legislation and to avoid continued annual emergency appropriations," said Swenson.
The $75.3 billion package contains $450 million in emergency production loss assistance in addition to $1.4 billion in emergency spending including $443 million for dairy farmers, $450 million for livestock producers, and $35 million for peanut growers to address economic losses. It appropriates monies for agriculture and related agencies of which $14.85 billion is discretionary spending to fund ongoing mission-directed responsibilities.
The NFU board of directors earlier urged Congress to support funding to develop new testing procedures to ensure accurate identification of agricultural products derived from biotechnology. The Senate included funding, with the leadership of Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. "With the debate over biotechnology raging in the United States and across the globe, it is imperative that consumers, farmers and others have an objective, reliable, certified public testing program to determine whether the products they buy or sell have been genetically modified," said Swenson.
The bill also includes a measure supported by NFU and sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., that offers meaningful sanctions reform for the export of food and medicine to Cuba and several other nations to which such trade is banned.
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