The American Farm Bureau Federation supports the $4.3 billion in additional farm assistance proposed in the Senate but believes even more is needed.  AFBF wants another $1.7 billion for livestock, soybean, rice and cotton.

In a letter Friday to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-AK), the AFBF said another $1.7 billion was needed to fund "other needy sectors of the agricultural economy": $700 million to "eliminate prorating assistance" under the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Program; $270 million in additional funding for pork producers; $500 million for export funding for purchase and donation programs for soybeans; $200 million to fund the cotton Step 2 payments, and $92 million for additional export funding "to improve the outlook for U.S. rice exports."

The $4.3 billion proposed includes a 50% supplemental Agricultural Market Transition Act (freedom to farm) payments "similar to what was provided to producers in late 1998," and $1.5 billion to make sure that 1998 crop loss disaster payments do not have to be prorated.