X

Rep. Owens calls again for passage of new Farm Bill and support for dairy farmers in any Farm Bill extension

Posted 9/11/12

Rep. Bill Owens is adding to the chorus calling on the Republican-led House of Representatives to take up the new Farm Bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee before the current Farm Bill …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Rep. Owens calls again for passage of new Farm Bill and support for dairy farmers in any Farm Bill extension

Posted

Rep. Bill Owens is adding to the chorus calling on the Republican-led House of Representatives to take up the new Farm Bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee before the current Farm Bill expires at the end of the month.

This week, agricultural leaders including the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union will organize in Washington, D.C. to urge Congress to pass a five-year reauthorization of the Farm Bill before current law expires on Sept. 30th. Congressman Owens is a member of the House Agriculture Committee and a strong proponent of a long-term Farm Bill.

“Good farm policy helps promote good farm jobs, and New York farmers can’t afford for Congress to sit on its hands any longer,” said Owens. “From low milk prices to natural disasters affecting feed and specialty crops, farmers have enough to worry about without Congress dropping the ball on the Farm Bill. We need to get this done.”

Owens notes that the Milk Income Loss Contract program, or MILC program, which provides a safety net to dairy farmers, had coverage reduced on September 1, the last month of the program’s authorization under the 2008 Farm Bill. While the 2012 Farm Bill replaces the MILC program with a new insurance program for dairy farmers, an extension of current law would continue the MILC program at the reduced level that began on September 1. Under this lower level of coverage, New York dairy farmers will likely receive no payments under the MILC program for the remainder of the year. Consequently, producers will be left without a safety net at a time when feed prices have skyrocketed and farm milk prices are not sufficient to cover cost of production, Owens said.

Reports out of Washington today inidicate that Sen. Debbie Stabenow, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, opposes House proposals to extend the current bill and wants House Republican leaders to approve a new bill.

Stabenow said compromise between the House and Senate on a new five-year bill depends on House action on a bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee.

The House Republican leadership has proposed extending the current bill for a year to avoid a fight over food stamp spending.

Earlier this year, Owens joined 79 of his Democratic and Republican colleagues in sending a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House of Representative urging the 2012 Farm Bill (H.R. 6083) to be brought to the floor for a vote.

The legislation, which renews expiring federal farm and food programs, was approved with a strong bipartisan vote, 35-11, in the Ag Committee on June 11.

The current farm bill expires at the end of September but many of its programs, including the food stamp program which helps feed some 46 million Americans, would continue after that date.

Bill Owens, a retired Air Force officer and Plattsburgh businessman, is running as a Democrat to keep his seat as the 21st Congressional District representative in Congress. He is challenged for a second time by Watertown businessman Matt Doheny, a Republican.