If Democrats had maintained control of the House – and Collin Peterson the Chairmanship of the House Ag Committee – 2012 farm bill discussions were expected to get underway in 2011. But now that Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas is set to Chair the Ag Committee – there’s a different plan. Lucas has made it very clear he has no intention of doing the farm bill next year. Instead – he says 2011 offers the committee a chance to focus on oversight of USDA and the EPA…
“How is USDA handling GIPSA, how is USDA doing everything from Chesapeake Bay to the particulate matter in the air, to the spray rules. Bring in all those entities and ask them quite simply, ‘Where in federal law are you trying to create law by rule-making process instead of coming to congress? What’s you’re scientific basis for the rule you’re trying to create? Prove to us it will make a difference, and thirdly, and just as importantly, from my perspective, what’s the economic impact? If you’re rule making, that you can justify somehow, both under law, and somebody’s version of science, has a net-negative effect on rural America and production agriculture, then why are we doing it?'"
That’s not to say the 2012 farm bill is completely off the radar for Lucas. He says in anticipation of the debate – the committee needs to look at how 2008 farm bill dollars were spent. He’s certain the money available for the 2012 legislation will be less than what was available in 2008 – and that means it’s important to find ways to more efficiently use the resources. Lucas says everything will be on the table…
“But, bear in mind, direct payments are the most WTO-compliant part of the Farm Bill. The ‘least’ market distorting by the economist definition. We’ve got to think about the WTO that we’re a part of, as we write this farm bill, because it doesn’t do any good to write good policy, if, as our cotton friends found out, we get taken to WTO court and loose and get assessed huge fees and fines, that come out of the treasury. We’ve got to factor that in, too. So, it’s going to be a challenge, this next farm bill.”
When it comes to the Conservation Title of the farm bill – Lucas says Congress needs to allow more flexibility in CRP. He suggests allowing planting on CRP acres when demands lead to tight supply projections…
“When the price of grain gets to the point that perhaps it’s stressful for the feed industry, makes it difficult to meet all our other needs, perhaps we need to be a little more flexible with the CRP acres. To allow some of that better land, that might have gotten in there originally, to be able to come out. If we are too excessively restrictive with the CRP and the demand for the products, in this case we’ll use the example of corn for ethanol and for livestock feed, and for human food, if the demands around the world exceed supply, if we don’t show flexibility in adding production capacity, our competitors around the planet will take up the slack. If we’re going to need more corn to meet the world demand, I’d just as soon see it come from an American farmer’s operation not from somewhere else around the world.”
Lucas says it’s a good way to maintain a balance between the needs for ethanol production, livestock feed and food.
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