Agricultural News
NFU, Coalition Outline Recommendations for 2012 Farm Bill Livestock Title Provisions
Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:09:41 CDT
The National Farmers Union (NFU) and five other livestock industry organizations sent a letter to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives Agriculture Committee leadership that outlines recommended provisions for the Livestock and Research and Related Matters Titles in the 2012 Farm Bill.
"The programs in the Livestock Title are too important to U.S. family farmers and ranchers to be left out," said NFU President Roger Johnson. "In order to ensure we have a robust, productive livestock industry in our country, we must protect our producers by supporting the programs described in the letter."
As outlined in the letter, reauthorizing the Livestock Disaster Assistance Programs is vital. The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) compensates ranchers at a rate of 75 percent market value for livestock mortality caused by disasters. The Livestock Forage Program (LFP) assists ranchers who graze livestock on qualifying drought-or fire-affected pastureland. The Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP) compensates producers for disaster losses not covered under other disaster programs. These programs have been of critical importance to producers across the nation in recent years.
"We support the listed programs as a means to ensure the continued success and viability for the $160 billion livestock industry," the letter states. "We urge Congress to pass a 2012 Farm Bill that clearly and concisely outlines the critical programs to the livestock industry in a succinct package of provisions in the next farm bill."
The cosigners represent tens of thousands of livestock producers, including cattle, pork, dairy. They include state animal health officials, state secretaries of agriculture, state veterinarians, the American Horse Council, American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, National Assembly of State Animal Health Officials, NFU, United States Animal Health Association, and U.S. Cattlemen's Association.
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