Agricultural News
USA Rice Producers Chairwoman Expresses Fears Over Senate Ag Committee Proposals for Farm Bill
Wed, 16 May 2012 15:52:25 CDT
A representative from the U.S. rice industry appeared before the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Assessment today, asking that committee members scrap key provisions of the Senate's version of the Farm Bill.
Linda Raun, chairwoman of the USA Rice Producers' Group testified that rice growers would like to see two things in the 2012 Farm Bill. She said rice producers need a choice of risk management options relevant to their operations and improvements in crop insurance so that it works for all crops and regions.
Raun took issue with the Senate's version of the farm bill, saying it was too narrowly focused on corn and soybean growers in the Midwest and would not adequately address the needs of other producers.
"Regrettably, the Senate Ag Committee has chosen a different path by denying producers a choice in risk management options that meaningfully address the unique perils they face, and instead forcing all farmers of all crops into a program tailor-made for two crops and one region of the country. Many producers of other crops and even producers of those two crops that are grown in other regions of the country are left with no safety net at all."
She said that the Renewable Fuel Standard has been a boon to corn and soybean growers and that federal crop insurance is tailor-made for those crops. She said unless House members are very careful, however, the farm bill will reflect that bias to the detriment of other producers
"Rice farmers find themselves being locked out of the farm bill because our risks do not match the kind of risks some in Washington think we should have."
Raun then turned her sights on price protections. She said she was disappointed in the Senate's farm bill because it ignored the issue of price protection.
"We support having the choice of a price-only option, a counter-cyclical safety net that triggers only when prices decline. This is the only policy proposal that provides a safety net for crops that have had low prices going into this farm bill, like rice, or have experienced significant price declines over the next few years. For our California medium-grain rice farmers, who have enjoyed higher prices, the revenue option might actually work. Under the revenue options in the Senate bill, the revenue guarantee is only as good as your previous five years revenue. Our goal is not to take this option away from producers, but to add the option of a price-only protection."
Raun also said she has worked for four years to help develop two crop insurance products for rice farmers. She said the effort still faces significant hurdles. She asked House members to focus on getting those programs off the ground and onto a sound footing in their version of a farm bill.
You can hear Raun's testimony by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below.
You can read Raun's written testimony by clicking here.
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