FAYETTEVILLE – As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Congressman Larry Kissell (NC-08) heard testimony and asked questions of agricultural stakeholders from across North Carolina during Monday’s Farm Bill Field Hearing in Fayetteville.

Kissell, along with North Carolina Congressmen Mike McIntyre and Bob Etheridge, were on hand for the Field Hearing to hear input from the agriculture community in advance of the 2012 Farm Bill. Congressman Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania was also in attendance. McIntyre, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Biotechnology, Specialty Crops and Foreign Agriculture, chaired the hearing.

This is the ninth in a series of field hearing scheduled across the country to consider new ideas regarding federal food and farm policy. Approximately 115 community leaders including local agriculture producers attended the hearing at the Crown Expo Center.

“Agriculture is North Carolina’s leading industry, and it is vital for our agricultural community to have input into the upcoming Farm Bill,” Kissell said. “I am so pleased to have this hearing in Fayetteville, and thank the panelists for taking time to share information and communicate the needs of our agriculture community.”
 
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, North Carolina is the nation’s top producer of tobacco, yielding almost half of the nation’s total tobacco crop. North Carolina also ranks second in the nation among states growing poultry and eggs; hogs and pigs; and cut Christmas trees and short rotation woody crops. More than 120,000 acres of land in North Carolina are enrolled in USDA conservation programs.

Frank Lee, of Norwood, testified to the committee during the first panel, representing Farm Bureau. Lee is a corn, cotton, wheat, soybean and beef cattle producer in Stanly County. He is the past president and current member of the Stanly County Farm Bureau.

“I am a proud constituent of Congressman Larry Kissell who represents the 8th Congressional District…and it is an honor to testify before you today,” Lee said. “The North Carolina Farm Bureau believes that 2008 Farm Bill is working well. We understand that you have budget constraints to manage while developing the 2010 bill; however, I cannot stress to you enough how vital it is that the overall bill provide an adequate safety net for producers who will continue to provide food, feed and fiber to the world.”
 
Another Kissell constituent, Allen McLaurin, testified to the committee, representing cotton producers. McLaurin, of Laurinburg, is the farm manager for ZV Pate, Inc., located in Scotland County.

“Our industry believes the cotton provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill are working well,” McLaurin said. “If policy changes are inevitable as part of the 2012 Farm Bill, the cotton industry remains ready to work with the Agriculture Committees to explore alternative programs that can provide the needed safety net to our industry in a manner that is consistent with our international trade obligations and within budget constraints.”

Concord’s Tommy Porter, another Kissell constituent, testified to the Committee during the second panel. He told the committee how conservation title programs are to North Carolina livestock producers, saying livestock farmers are “committed to running productive operations while meeting or even exceeding environmental expectations.” However, Porter said producers are in need of cost-share and technical assistance to achieve these goals.

“I stress the idea that Farm Bill programs should be aimed at reducing or controlling costs of production, increasing the prices received for livestock and poultry products and increasing the quality of U.S. meat and poultry products,” Porter said. “Simply put, a national farm policy bill that provides stabilization of food and fiber production is a benefit to everyone – farmers and consumers.”

Other panelists including Ronald Allen, a row crop and livestock producer from Fayetteville and Board Chairman of Cape Fear Farm Credit; Steven Burke, President of the Biofuels Center of North Carolina; Randall Jones, President of Lumbee River EMC; Dan Ward, a peanut producer from Clarkton; and Patrick Woodie, on behalf of Billy Ray Hall of North Carolina’s Rural Economic Development Center, Inc.

The Committee is encouraging additional feedback from agriculture stakeholders. Stakeholders wishing to offer feedback for the official record can do so by visiting the House Agriculture Committee website, agriculture.house.gov by July 28. Witness testimony is also available on the website.