Agricultural News
Stabenow Sets Agenda at Outlook Forum
Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:58:35 CST
Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow addressed USDA's Outlook Forum Thursday. She told those gathered the next farm bill will really be a Jobs Bill. It's not like the first Farm bill written in 1933, when the country was in the grip of the Great Depression. Thankfully, today she said, - our challenges are different. Agriculture looks different -- our farmers are using GPS and you can monitor your irrigation systems over the Internet. Commodity prices are at a record high. Today there are 5-billion more mouths to feed than there were in 1933 - many of them depending on American agriculture.
With all of this good news we are also facing very serious deficit and budget pressures, and our country needs to live within its means. Stabenow said, - we need to make the best use of our limited dollars, and make sure we're using them on programs and policies that work for production agriculture today. We need to focus on principles, not programs.
One of the first principles to be addressed is creating the most effective safety net and the best tools for managing risk. Stabenow said, - we want to look at what's working and what's not working, because we cannot afford to operate and manage many different programs that have questionable effectiveness. We also need to continue developing markets overseas. And a focus on research and innovation is another critical principle for us to consider.
Stabenow said we must also, - consider conserving and protecting our land and water. In the short term, we need to sit down with the USDA and the EPA and address the concerns our growers and ranchers have with pending environmental regulations. The Senate Ag Committee Chair also noted, - American agriculture is a partner in the effort for energy independence. There are tremendous opportunities in bioenergy. Finally Stabenow said, - another important principle is our commitment to invest in rural communities and the next generation.
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