57 



scale one way or the other. We are literally running that close for 

 a lot of these farms. 



Again, I will close by commending again the chairman and the 

 committee for allowing us the time to speak today. 



Thank you. 



[The prepared statement of Mr. Buntrock appears at the conclu- 

 sion of the hearing.] 



The Chairman. Thank you very much. We appreciate your con- 

 tribution. 



Mr. Eckel. 



STATEMENT OF KEITH W. ECKEL, PRESIDENT, PENNSYLVANIA 

 FARMERS ASSOCIATION, ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN FARM 

 BUREAU FEDERATION 



Mr. Eckel. Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the 

 committee, my name is Keith Eckel. I serve as president of the 

 Pennsylvania Farmers Association and serve on the board of direc- 

 tors and executive committee of the American Farm Bureau. Today 

 I present the testimony of the American Farm Bureau Federation, 

 representing in excess of 4 million members. 



I make my living as a farmer. I am a tomato and grain producer 

 located near Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania and farm in partner- 

 ship with my brother. I will attempt to summarize, Mr. Chairman, 

 in the interest of time, the concerns I would raise. 



Obviously, most agricultural outlook sessions focus on the tradi- 

 tional issues of supply and demand for agricultural products, world 

 trade developments, agricultural credit, and availability of the 

 input. These are absolutely important parts that need to be exam- 

 ined. I am confident that the people who have testified previously, 

 including USDA, will provide and have provided sufficient informa- 

 tion to the committee as far as agricultural outlook in those terms. 



As a farmer, I am always optimistic. We wouldn't sow seed this 

 next spring if we didn't have some optimism about crop or about 

 price. But today I come to you to raise not a new issue but I believe 

 raise an issue to you at a higher level than the American Farm 

 Bureau has ever done before. 



I report to you today, Mr. Chairman, that in that optimism that I 

 have I must confess that I, along with my colleagues, face a grow- 

 ing pessimism across this country amongst our farmers. The root of 

 it is the regulatory constraints that continue to infringe on private 

 farm activities. 



I would indicate to you, Mr. Chairman, that I fully recognize that 

 the greatest challenge facing American agriculture today is to 

 achieve our environmental goals and maintain our competitiveness 

 in this global economy. And yet I would be remiss to you if I did 

 not report that I have strong concerns as far as how much of an 

 economic burden American agriculture can continue to bear with 

 the regulations we currently face and are currently increasing. 



A recent economic study indicated that as much as 10 percent of 

 the gross domestic product of this country is devoted toward regu- 

 latory compliance. I think that is a growing pressure that agricul- 

 ture certainly is facing the burden with today. 



