AFBF Will Support Supplementing Farm Income

January 24, 2000

The new president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, Bob Stallman, says the group supports "some counter-cyclical income assistance," a concept embraced by the Clinton Administration and developed as legislation by Rep. Charles Stenholm (D-TX). AFBF also supports "the flexibility and market orientation" of the 1996 farm law, says Stallman.

Farmers and ranchers who understand "down-home, dirt farm economics" are the best ones to lobby Congress and the administration about what agriculture needs, says Stallman. "Anytime you can relate a policy position to what you've personally done -- that allows you to better communicate your position."

Stallman, elected recently at the AFBF annual meeting, is a third-generation rice farmer in Colorado County, Texas. He has served as the Texas Farm Bureau president since 1993 and succeeds Dean Kleckner of Iowa who had been AFBF president since 1986.

"In this session of Congress," said Stallman, "House members are obviously going to start the debate on farm policy. There's also pressure on the Senate side. I'd like to see good, well thought-out farm policy, but too many times decisions are made based on the political expediency of the moment."

Congress should "quickly determine" how to spend the $6 billion set aside for crop insurance reform, he added. He acknowledged the "strong difference of opinion between the House and Senate Agriculture Committee chairmen over how to spend the money." AFBF will work with both committees "to develop the best crop insurance policy to help our farmers and ranchers."

Trade is essential to long-term stability for farmers and agribusiness, he said, especially increased market access. "We need the administration to take a very hard look to ensure that agriculture remains at the table throughout the next round of World Trade Organization talks so that agriculture isn't dealt with separately outside the negotiations."

Stallman assumes the Farm Bureau leadership when Congress faces multiple farm issues and has little time to deal with them. The House and Senate will hold their first session of the year today, but as in most presidential election years will have only a limited number of days to work on legislation. Congress has not taken final action on crop insurance legislation passed last year by the House, may debate changes in the 1996 "Freedom to Farm" law, and needs to reauthorize and revamp the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, among other farm-related issues.