Untitled Document

News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

August 14, 2003

Contact: Sara Lang
Phone: (202) 225-4531

Etheridge Holds Farmer Forum with USDA Deputy Secretary

RALEIGH - U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, will host a "Farmer Forum" with the second-in-command at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Deputy Secretary Jim Moseley, on Monday, August 18th at 9 a.m. The meeting, which will be held at the Farmers Market Restaurant at 1240 Farmers Market Drive in Raleigh, will give farmers an opportunity to discuss the state of North Carolina's rural economy and U.S. agriculture with a high-ranking Administration official.

"At this Farmer Forum, North Carolina's farmers will have the ear of a high-ranking Administration official who also has a hands-on knowledge of farming and rural America," Etheridge said. "North Carolina's farm families are hurting and they deserve to be heard. I am pleased the Administration realizes the need to discuss the farm economy and our rural communities with North Carolina farmers. I hope they will send a strong message back with Deputy Secretary Moseley about the importance of preserving rural communities and the strong history of farming."

North Carolina's farmers continue to face tough times. Last year's record-breaking drought was followed by heavy rains this year, damaging many crops. Coupled with rising costs and changing markets, this situation has created a tough environment for farm families. Tobacco farmers, who have seen their quota cut in half since 1997, are especially hurting. This year, tobacco quota was cut 9.5 percent, the largest cut in a generation. There are over 12,000 tobacco farmers in North Carolina, and more than 250,000 jobs in the state are tied to tobacco.

Recently, the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing on tobacco buyout legislation and heard testimony from farmers, tobacco companies and health groups. Etheridge has introduced the only fully-funded buyout bill in Congress, H.R. 245, the Fletcher-Etheridge Bill. Under the Fletcher-Etheridge Bill, quota owners would receive payments of $8 per pound, and producers would receive payments of $4 per pound based on 1998 quota totals. The bill also would preserve a safety net for tobacco farmers by maintaining price support for tobacco and establishing a licensing system for farmers wishing to continue to grow tobacco. Those growers willing to forfeit forever their eligibility for a license would get an additional payment based on $2 per pound.

Prior to his appointment as deputy secretary in 2001, Moseley was an Indiana farmer with 32 years farm experience. From 1989 to 1990, he served as agricultural advisor to the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and he previously served at USDA as the assistant secretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment.

Friends of North Carolina farming who wish to attend the forum should contact Jake Parker in Etheridge's Raleigh office at 1-888-262-6202.