Washington (Nov. 28, 2007)—Groups representing most Louisiana farmers today wrote members of the state’s Congressional delegation to urge them to expedite passage of the 2007 farm bill and oppose efforts to extend the current bill.
“Louisiana’s farm community is deeply concerned about the delay in approving the 5-year reauthorization of U.S. farm policy,” the groups wrote.
Reauthorization of the bill is vital to the Louisiana community and economy as there are “thousands of Louisianans employed directly and indirectly in the farm community,” and “a one-year extension of the current farm bill is not an effective option for our growers, or for our Federal budget,” the letter stated.
“A one-year extension of the commodity titles is likely to result in higher costs than the reforms put forth in either the House or Senate farm bills. Reforms and conservation gains that have been negotiated in these bills will fail to materialize,” it went on to read.
Further, the groups point out that if a short term extension is approved then the new farm bill would be delayed until after March 2008, creating even greater financial hurdles.
The letter went on to urge lawmakers to get a bill to the President’s desk by January and to vote against a veto if necessary.
Among the organizations signing the letter:
American Sugar Cane League
Louisiana Cotton Producers Association
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
Louisiana Rice Growers Association
Louisiana Rice Producers Group
Louisiana Soybean Association
Louisiana Sweet Potato Association
Pecan Producers of Louisiana