Agricultural News
From the 2011 Commodity Classic- Tom Sell Offers 2012 Farm Bill Preview
Fri, 04 Mar 2011 6:15:07 CST
Tom Sell is a youthful veteran of farm policy discusssions in Washington, as he served as a key aide for the Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Larry Combest, during the 2002 Farm Bill debate. Now Sell is in partnership with Combest in a Washington lobbying firm, Combest, Sell and Associates.
Sell spoke to the Sorghum General Session in Tampa at the 2011 Commodtity Classic- and offered three issues that will be important to pay attention to as we approach the writing of the next farm bill. He also offered some advice for the farm community as that process gets underway.
Key issues include the budget, the adequacy of the farm safety net and the political realities of Congress here in 2011 as we begin to work on this next farm bill. Sell says that the budget pressure will be immense, but that agriculture has cut spending and programs over the last decade and needs to communicate that story as we consider what the policy options are in 2012.
He questions the validity of the calling current policy much of a safety net for farmers, especially when and if prices decline in the months and years ahead. Sell says that the safety net is not much of a safety net as commodity prices have moved to a higher plateau.
His third issue is all about the politics in Washington as we near the writing of the 2012 farm bill. Sell says that there are fewer members of Congress that have significant amounts of agricultural production in their districts than ever before- with only about 75 out of 435 districts now having a farm/ranch presence in them.
Sell offered advice to producers and their organizations as the time to write the farm bill nears. His first and foremost piece of advice is not to get out in front of your Congressional leaders in specific areas of the commodity title. He says that the House and Senate Ag Committee leadership are willing to stand up and make a case for the current commodity and conservation titles of the farm bill- and Sell says that groups making noises to the contrary is not useful to the debate.
One specific area that he cited was the debate over Direct Payments. He pointed out that both Congressman Frank Lucas, current Chairman of the House Ag Committee, and former House Ag Committee Chair and now ranking minority member of the Senate Ag Committee, Pat Roberts of Kansas, both have voiced strong support for the current policy- including support for Direct Payments.
Sell points out that Direct Payments are perhaps the most flexible of any of the price supports in that in good times- it gives farmers the chance to put resouces into additional crop insurance if they so choose- or in the purchase of equipment to make them more efficient and low cost producer. The farmer decides how those resources are spent to help prepare them for the day when a crop fails or is half a crop or prices drop through the floor.
Sell also told growers that they have a great story to tell- as they help feed and clothe the world. Sell said Americans currently have the most affordable and safest food supply in the world because of U.S. agriculture policy, and that is something Americans should continue to strive to protect.
"If we're going to feed these 9 billion people with increasing appetites, we've got to have the American farmer to do it," he said.
We have the full presentation with Tom Sell to the National Sorghum Producers- click on the LISTEN BAR to hear his remarks.
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