Glickman Almost Gives Flesh to the Bones of New Policy

July 21,1999

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman yesterday provided a glimpse into the Clinton Administration's thinking on new approaches to farm policy. A "counter-cyclical mechanism" is needed that kicks in when prices decline, he says. But it must target "those sectors that are struggling the most." Surpluses also must be addressed.

That's about as far as he went to lay out new directions for farm policy. He did say "we have to respond (to price and income difficulties) in a way that addresses the longer-term, more deep-seated problem of rising surpluses so that we don't have to come back and revisit the price and income issue over and over again."

The comments came in remarks prepared for delivery yesterday to the summer meeting of the National Turkey Federation in Washington.

Previous farm laws were counter-cyclical: when prices declined payments increased and vice versa, he noted. But the current farm law was implemented when prices were strong. "While it has many good provisions that I wanted and that I continue to endorse, like planting flexibility and stronger trade and conservation programs, It didn't leave a strong enough safety net. And now that the farm economy has gone south, the program doesn't have the flexibility to respond adequately."