127 



(AAM 03 FEB 93 page #4) 



to take in order to survive. After all, net farm income now 

 includes over 60% from off -farm sources. 



The result of all of these problems have resulted in 

 economic carnage in the heartland. The answer to this 

 committee's question of the day, "How well are current 

 programs and policies meeting their intended objectives?" - 

 not very well at all. 



As I eluded to before, the citizens of rural America voted 

 for change last November. I feel it is our duty to fulfill 

 that mandate. We should start by restoring the buying power 

 of rural America. We must raise prices at the farm gate and 

 the mechanism has to be the raising of support prices. There 

 are no other viable options. 



We can no longer depend on federal tax dollars to sustain 

 farm income, and we never should have. To do so would be 

 foolish on our part and unfair to America's taxpayers. It 

 now appears that there will not be a solution to the trade 

 problems facing agriculture for sometime to come, with rumors 

 of trade wars dominating the news. We cannot depend on an 

 export driven policy to sustain farm income, and we never 

 should have. Therefore, as I previously stated, if we are to 

 revitalize the rural economy, we must raise support levels to 

 increase farm income, we have no other viable options. 



