1990 Farm Bill Forum 



Proceedings 



Farm Bureau 

 Andy Neal 



Executive Vice President 



The Montana Farm Bureau supports the 

 direction of the 1985 Food Security Act. We are 

 opposed to modifications in the program that 

 would change the direction away from market- 

 oriented goals of competitive loan rates, volun- 

 tary stock reduction and income supplements 

 as we move toward a market-based agriculture. 

 We feel very strongly that the 1985 Act has 

 worked well and we should continue in the 

 same direction. 



Farm Bureau is opposed to any type of manda- 

 tory production, acreage control or marketing 

 quotas. Programs that require production or 

 marketing controls will destroy farm exports. 



As we consider the 1990 program, we should 

 consider the following areas: 



• Deficiency payments should be determined 

 by using the first 5 months of the year. Prompt 

 payment should be made following the calcula- 

 tion. 



• Producers should be allowed to interchange 

 base acres among program crops as long as 

 crop base is not increased more than 10# and 

 deficiency payments are not increased. 



• Storage payment should be equivalent to 

 producers as they go to commercial ware- 

 houses. 



• Deficiency payments should not be reduced 

 or crop bases adjusted because plantings were 

 less than permitted. 



• The 0-92 program and guaranteed minimum 

 deficiency payments should be made on the full 

 92 percent. 



• Payment limitations under the commodity 

 loan acreage reduction and disaster programs 

 should be eliminated. 



• Program crop policies should not be devel- 

 oped at the expense of nonprogram crops and 

 other commodities. 



• We oppose the farmer-owned grain reserve. It 

 should be replaced by noninterest loans to 

 wheat and feed grain producers over a nine 

 month period. 



The following are what government programs 

 should do for agriculture: 



• Help farmers obtain needed crop and market 

 information, research, credit, and educational 

 assistance. 



• Provide workable grade and standards and 

 safeguard quality through inspection services. 



• Help farmers eradicate or control plant and 

 animal pests and diseases. 



• Encourage conservation of land and water 

 resources. 



• Promote reliable transportation for agricul- 

 tural commodities. 



• Strengthen farmers' power to bargain for a 

 price. 



• Reduce the five-acre set-aside requirement to 

 one acre and not necessarily contiguous. 



• Farm program announcements should be 

 made as directed by FSA, and once announced, 

 not changed. 



• We supfjort continued adequate funding of 

 ASCS. 



• We oppose strict cross compliance; limited 

 cross compliance should be at the discretion of 

 the secretary of agriculture. 



We also believe that conservation compliance 

 provisions should be modified to recognize 

 economic and technical feasibility, traditional or 

 normal farming practices, and local conditions. 

 The SCS technical guide should be just that, a 

 guide, not mandatory. 



Sodbuster and Swampbuster 

 We opp>ose farm program incentives that 

 stimulate producers to bring fragile lands under 

 cultivation. Any producer allowang such 

 practice shall be ineligible for federal incentive 

 payments for any crop in his farming operation. 



Conservation Reserve Program 



We support the concept of CRP to improve soil 

 and water resources. The program should 

 include whole farm set-aside with protection of 

 tenant-farmers' rights. We oppose producers 

 being eligible to participate in the CRP who 

 break up fragile land after the CRP contract has 

 been accepted by USDA. 



Again, we support the direction of the 1985 

 Farm Bill, and would push for some of these 

 minor changes to improve and strengthen the 

 act that is in place. The program has worked 

 reasonably well and we feel these suggestions 

 may further enhance the 1990 legislation. 



12 



Montana Chapter, Soil and Water Conttrvadon Society 



August 28, 1888 



