Livestock, Poultry Work to Retain EQIP Spending

November 13, 2001

Livestock and poultry organizations have asked the Senate Agriculture Committee leadership to make sure funding authorization in the Senate farm bill for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is at least equal to that of the House-approved bill. They've asked committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and ranking Republican Richard Lugar (IN) not to reduce the funding lower than the $12.2 billion in the House bill in an effort to meet row crop producers' desires.

"The EQIP has the potential to assist thousands of livestock and poultry producers achieve substantial environmental and conservation benefits, but only if Congress ensures that EQIP is funded at a level to meet the needs of producers," they said in a letter to Harkin and Lugar. "We are extremely encouraged by the Senate's proposals to increase EQIP funding levels in the 2002 farm bill. However, we know that other program proposals are competing for funds as well and urge you to leave untouched the livestock and poultry share of funds authorized for EQIP."

Current law requires that 50% of EQIP funds be reserved for livestock and poultry producers. "We are very concerned that funding for EQIP might be reduced at the expense of livestock and poultry producers in order to address row crop producers' commodity title and other funding priorities. We feel very strongly that only the row crop producers' share of EQIP's funds and any other conservation title funds be used to meet row crop producers' other needs in the bill that passes out of your committee," they added.

The groups said they had analyzed livestock and poultry producers' needs to address the projected 10-year costs of federal, state and local mandatory manure management, water and air quality protection requirements for operations greater than 50 animal units in size and found that the costs will be more than $12.2 billion over the next 10 years.

"This next farm bill needs to increase livestock and poultry's share of EQIP funding by more than $6 billion over the life of the bill to make a substantial contribution to livestock and poultry producers' total needs," the group said.

Signing the letter were the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Pork Producers, Council, United Egg Producers, National Milk Producers Federation, National Chicken Council and the National Turkey Federation.