09/27/05 Ag Sec on support for current farm law

Farm and Ranch September 27, 2005 When Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns appeared recently before the Senate Ag Committee, Chairman Saxby Chambliss wanted to know if the Secretary thought U.S. farmers and ranchers would support wholesale changes to farm policy. Chambliss was referring to a published report suggesting producers want to retain the 2002 farm bill. Johanns, who has been conducting listening sessions around the country focusing on the next Farm Bill, said he hasn't heard widespread support for the current law. Johanns: "In fact we pulled out from our farm bill listening session quote after quote after quote from producers. Producers are expressing concern about the 2002 Farm Bill. Every place we go we hear about the capitalization of farm payments into higher land costs, higher cash rent costs, the inability of young people to get into farming. And I could go on and on." Johanns said the next Farm Bill must move beyond the New Deal. Johanns: "Some of the same tools we used 70 years ago we are trying to fit into to today's world and it is a different world today. But there are two points I want to make. We can support American agriculture but we need to be creative in how we approach that. And we can do that. And the second point I would make is that the status quo just saying I am happy with everything has real risks to it and we might not like that result either." I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.