Agriculture and the Farm Bill
Agriculture is an extremely important industry in North Dakota. In 2009, the value of agricultural production in North Dakota was over $7 billion, and North Dakota was the number one producer of 15 different agricultural commodities. North Dakota's agricultural importance also provides our state with a unique identity in which one is never far from the land.
The success of our farmers and ranchers in North Dakota can be attributed to their hard work and ingenuity. However, a solid federal farm policy is crucial for our agriculture producers to overcome trade advantages held by our global competitors, and help farmers and ranchers maintain their operations through market swings and natural disasters.
As a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I worked closely with Chairman Tom Harkin of Iowa and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss of Georgia to craft the 2008 Farm Bill. I'm proud to say that the 2008 Farm Bill was a huge success for our state. The new standing disaster assistance program has provided thousands of North Dakota farm and ranch families with assistance when weather-related disasters wreaked havoc on their crops. Maintaining a strong Federal crop insurance program has led to increased participation and better coverage for North Dakota farmers. Provisions that encouraged the production of renewable energy have helped farmers, rural communities, and the nation's efforts to become more energy independent. North Dakota communities have benefitted from the $4 billion in increased authority for programs that encourage the conservation of our natural resources that was included in the Farm Bill. In addition, the bill strengthened the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps), so that millions of families across the nation received help during the worst recession since the Great Depression. Finally, the 2008 Farm Bill has been fiscally responsible, ensuring that our tax dollars are being spent wisely in addressing key public priorities. Click here to read more details on how the 2008 Farm Bill benefits our farmers, ranchers, consumers, main street businesses, and rural communities.
The 2012 Farm Bill will be equally important for our state. I am committed to working with Chairwoman Stabenow, Ranking Member Roberts, and the other members of the Senate Agriculture Committee to achieve bipartisan support for a new Farm Bill that will continue to benefit North Dakota and the nation.
Volatility in the agriculture sector, coupled with an unsustainable U.S. budget situation, present real challenges to our country. I am convinced that through spending and tax reform we can address these issues while still maintaining an agricultural policy that will benefit our producers, consumers, and rural communities. My priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill will include:
- Ensuring an adequate safety net for producers, recognizing that current high commodity prices may not last and that producers also face rapidly rising farm input costs;
- Reducing program complexity and overlap to improve efficiency, implementation and the delivery of benefits;
- Providing adequate funding for conservation programs to maintain North Dakota's agricultural resource base and address specific environmental challenges in rural America;
- Continuing to promote the expansion of renewable energy production and other efforts that benefit rural communities; and
- Helping the least fortunate among us put food on the table.
Dr. Won W. Koo, Director, Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies at North Dakota State University and I are organizing a conference that will feature nationally renowned agriculture experts to discuss commodities, conservation, crop insurance, trade, and bio-energy policy options for the next Farm Bill.
I encourage all agriculture stakeholders to consider attending this conference, as this discussion will be very important to developing a new Farm Bill that continues to work for our producers and communities here in North Dakota.
--Senator Kent Conrad
A fighter for North Dakota's farmers and ranchers
Senator Conrad is one of the most senior Members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. This leadership position, coupled with his roles as Chairman of the Budget Committee and third-ranking member of the powerful Finance Committee, solidify Senator Conrad's position as a leading advocate for American farmers and ranchers on a wide range of agricultural, trade, tax, and budget issues. Senator Conrad is always fighting for North Dakota farmers and ranchers.
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