Harkin Calls for ‘Better System'

September 28, 2001

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) wants a "better system" to provide farmers with income protection without requiring emergency bailouts ever year. "Farm income protection is of course a fundamental part of the farm bill," he said."However, protecting agricultural producers against income losses is not enough by itself."

The farm bill, he added, also must also farmers and rural communities "create and realize opportunities for the future. If the legislation fails to lay a foundation for new opportunities, rural America will be no better off five or 10 years from now. Farmers will be just as dependent on commodity program payments and rural communities will still be falling behind."

A new farm bill should help farmers earn better returns and a larger share of the consumer dollar in the market, according to Harkin. "Value-added processing ventures, new biotechnology products, innovative marketing channels and increased exports all can help. If independent farms are to survive, though, we must ensure that agricultural markets are open, competitive and fair."

Current conservation programs should be extended, he added, with a "new system of incentive payments for maintaining or adopting new conservation practices on land in production." a reference to an incentive-based conservation program he proposed earlier.