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BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY 



3 9999 05018 455 3 



US HOUSE AG COritllTTEE 

 R00H 1301 



LOMGUORTH HOUSE OFFICE BLDG. 

 UASHIHGTON, D.C. 28515 



LONHIE STEUART 



RT. 1 BOX 212 



GEORGE UEST. TX. 78022 



RE: HEARING ON ECONOHIC OUTLOOK 



DEAR CHAIRNAN DELA GAR2A. 



I AN A PRODUCER IN LIVE OAK COUNTY AND GROU 1000 ACRES OF CORN. I 

 HAUE BEEN IN THE ASCS PROGRAH FOR THE PAST SEUERAL YEARS. THE 

 INCOHE DERIUED FRON THE ASCS PROGRAH HAS BEEN APPROXINATELY THE 

 SANE AS NY NET INCOHE. UHENEUER DEFIENCY PAYNENTS ARE LOUERED OR 

 TARGET PRICES LOUERED. IT AFFECTS NY NET PROFITS. 



HAUING STATED THIS, I THINK THAT THE AMERICAN FARNER UOULD BE BETTER 

 OFF WITHOUT ANY GOUERNNENT SUBSIDIES. I FEEL LIKE THE PRICES UOULD 

 BE HUCH BETTER UITHOUT GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE. THE TARGET 

 PRICES TEND TO SET THE UORLD PRICE AND DEFINITELY SET THE PRICE FOR 

 THE US PRODUCER. 



THE LAST FEU YEARS HAUE BEEN EXTRENELY DIFFICULT FOR FARHERS IN THIS 

 AREA AS YOU UELL KNOU, BUT I THINK THE FCIC INSURANCE PROGRAH IS 

 BETTER THAT ANYTHING ELSE. THE INSURANCE SHOULD ALLOU FARHERS TO 

 GUARANTEE A DOLLAR PER ACRE FIGURE THAT UOULD BE THE COST OF 

 PRODUCTION. EUERY FARHER HAS A DIFFEREHT COST OF PRODUCTION AND 

 THIS UOULD ALLOU THE FARHER TO DETERHIHE THE LEVEL OF INSURANCE 

 THAT HE UANTS TO CARRY. THE CURRENT INSURANCE PROGRAH IS PITIFUL AT 

 BEST MAINLY BECAUSE IT DOES HOT COUER COST OF PRODUCTION AND THE 

 PAPERUORK IS HORRENDOUS. 



THE CURRENT PROGRAHS AND POLICIES OF THE USDA DOES NOT SUIT RURAL 

 AMERICA UERY UELL AT ALL. IN THE PAST TEN YEARS, SEUERAL BUSINESSES 

 IN THE TOUN OF GEORGE UEST HAUE SHUT THEIR DOORS. THE MAIN SOURCE 

 OF INCOME FOR BUSIMESSES IH THIS AREA IS AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURE 

 HAS NOT HADE ENOUGH HET PROFIT TO ALLOU THEH TO DO BUSIHESS UITH 

 SMALL RETAIL STORES BECAUSE THEIR PRICES ARE USUALLY HIGHER. UE, 

 PRODUCERS. ARE HAUIHG TO SEARCH FOR THE CHEAPEST PRICES ON ALL OF 

 OUR IHPUTS, JUST TO STAY IH BUSIHESS. 



THE ASCS OFFICES ARE HAUIHG TO ADD EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THE AMOUNT 

 OF UORK IS INCREASING. TEN YEARS AGO, I COULD SIGH UP FOR THE ASCS 

 PROGRAH IH ABOUT TUO HOURS AHD THIS UAS ALL HAHDURITTEH. NOU UE 

 HAUE COHPUTERS AHD OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES AND IT TAKES HE 

 ABOUT THREE HOURS TO SIGN UP. THE PAPERUORK HAS BEEN GROUING 

 EUERY YEAR AT A TREHEHDOUS RATE. 



IH CLOSIHG, EUERY PRODUCER THAT I HAUE TALKED TO IS FARHING FROM 

 YEAR TO YEAR. NOT KNOUIHG UHETHER HE UILL BE ABLE TO FARN THE HEXT 

 YEAR OR HOT. THE PRICES OH ALL OUR INPUTS HAS TRIPLED OR QUADRUPLED 

 OUER THE LAST SEUERAL YEARS, UHILE THE PRICE OF OUR COMMODITIES 

 HAUE STAYED RELATIVELY THE SANE OR EVEN GONE DOUN. 



THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE 

 COMMUNITY IN UASHIHGTON. AND I HOPE THAT YOU UILL COHVEY MY 

 FEELIMGS TO THE AG COHMITTEE. 



SINCERELY YOURS. 

 LONNIE C. STEUART 



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