"America's farmers are the most productive in the world, despite heavy burdens of taxes and regulations: I want to free them from those taxes and regulations so they can be even more productive. With that in mind, I have put together a consistent agenda which, if enacted, will lead to more freedom and more prosperity for all Americans. This is an agenda which embraces the Constitution and the pro-taxpayer stance I know the people of the 14th District find so important," said Rep. Paul. "These are all items I have been pursuing since coming to Congress, and will continue to aggressively promote."

The items in the Ron Paul Agricultural Agenda include:

• Opening Foreign Markets - Through legislation such as the Cuba Humanitarian Trade Act and others, Rep. Paul has been the Congress' strongest advocate for opening markets to American agriculture.
• Income Averaging - A staunch crusader for lower, simpler, fair taxes, Rep. Paul is pushing for legislation which allows individuals in agriculture to average their taxable income, so they are not hurt by cycles which they cannot control, such as droughts.
• End the Estate Tax - This tax hurts small farmers and middle-income Americans worse than anyone else. Family farms are slowly being sliced to nothing as families are forced to sell land to pay the unreasonable taxes levied at the death of a parent or spouse. Rep. Paul is sponsoring legislation to end the death tax immediately.
• Protecting Property Rights - Rep. Paul is well-known for his efforts to stop the over-extended arm of the EPA and other federal regulators who seek to take land and add costs to farmers and ranchers. He is cosponsoring legislation which will stop the abuse of landowners by federal agencies.
• Rice Farmer Fairness Act - This legislation was recently introduced by Rep. Paul to address the problem of land owners being subsidized for raising rice even when they do not have the crop in their rotation. Under the current system, there is an incentive for land owners to kick tenant farmers off the land, which could jeopardize the agricultural industry's infrastructure.

"These five items mark a good first step in freeing farmers and ranchers - and, really, everyone who is involved in ag in one way or another - from the burdensome, over-reaching arm of the federal government regulations and taxes," said Paul. "As I have traveled the 14th District, I know these items are important to District 14's family farmers. While I expect entrenched special interests to oppose freeing farmers - and all Americans - from the chains of high taxes and high regulation, it won't be enough to stop us."