Cattlemen Won't Support Senate Bill

February 14, 2002

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, satisfied with the farm bill that was voted out of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is "disappointed by many of the provisions" added in during floor debate and has informed committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and ranking Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) the organization will not support the Senate version.

NCBA had two goals for the farm bill: a commodity title that "did no harm to beef producers and a conservation title that provided all beef producers access to important conservation programs, particularly in light of increasing local, state and federal regulations. In its current form, we believe this bill both causes harm to the beef industry and discriminates unfairly against thousands of family beef operations. Our concerns lie with the conservation title and the additional legislative provisions that have been added on the floor."

Among the provisions NCBA found offensive was the amendment to ban packer ownership, feeding and control of livestock. "The implications of what this amendment will mean to the beef industry are unclear. Debate at our annual membership meeting demonstrates confusion about the end results of this amendment. At best, this amendment reshuffles assets within the beef industry at significant cost. At worst, it destroys a strong industry with a proud history of deliberative actions before asking for government help. In either case, the proponents have failed to make their case that anything positive will come of this amendment.

An amendment that places restrictions on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) also was cause for opposing the bill, NCBA said in its letter to Harkin and Lugar. The restrictions "will forestall participation and provide no help to today's beef producers or the environmental improvements they seek to make and the public demands. The committee-passed bill responsibly devoted significant resources to allowing increased producer access to this program, which is in the best interest of beef producers and the environment. However, due to the amendment, beef producers and the public will not reap these benefits."