Abilene, TX – Congressman Randy Neugebauer, who sits on the House Agriculture Committee, concluded his three-day swing through the 19th District to get feedback on farm policy.  Neugebauer believes these forums were successful, and he will take the views of West Texas producers back to Washington for the upcoming negotiations on the 2007 Farm Bill.

“The current Farm Bill has worked very well for producers in the 19th District,” said Neugebauer.  “The message I heard during the past three days was that Congress should keep in place many of the programs that have provided a safety net for American agriculture.  This input will prove very helpful to me as I work to represent the views of local agriculture during 2007 Farm Bill discussions.”

The three-day tour included stops in Plainview, Seminole, and Abilene.  In all, more than 300 people attended the forums.  A range of topics were addressed, but perhaps the most often cited issue was the proposal by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make farmers whose adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds $200,000 ineligible for commodity payments.  Such a shift would represent a drastic change from current policy.  Neugebauer believes this would be bad policy and opposes its inclusion in the 2007 Farm Bill.

“As American producers face increased input costs and increased foreign competition, the federal government should not be putting in place policies that penalize efficiency and growth,” said Neugebauer.  “As we craft agriculture policy, we should be strengthening the farm safety net, not cutting holes in it.”

Many of the provisions of the current Farm Bill begin to expire in September.  The House Agriculture Committee has set an ambitious goal of completing its version of the 2007 Farm Bill by mid-Summer so that the final bill can be put in place by September.