Farm Bill Articles | 2007 Farm Bill Issues and Analysis

Conrad: Bush plan ‘good, bad and ugly’

Feb 6, 2007,

By Forrest Laws
Farm Press Editorial Staff

Sen. Kent Conrad says farmers have been down the road the Bush administration’s farm bill proposals would take them before, and they probably don’t want to go there again....

Johanns proposes income test for program payments

Feb 2, 2007,

By Forrest Laws, Farm Press Editorial Staff

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns wasn’t exactly stepping into the lions’ den, but it was close. A few hours after he announced that USDA was proposing to end farm payments for anyone with an adjusted gross income of more than $200,000 and eliminate the three-entity rule, Johanns traveled to a meeting with farmers in Tunica, Miss....

Farm bill proposal falls short, rice industry says

Feb 2, 2007

The farm bill proposal presented Jan. 31 by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns falls considerably short of maintaining the viable safety net now in place for farmers, according to USA Rice Producers’ Group Chairman Paul Combs....

‘Fringe’ groups seek provisions in farm bill

Feb 2, 2007,

By Forrest Laws, Farm Press Editorial Staff

U.S. farm and food policies are increasingly “out of balance” and must be re-directed to meet the needs of a broader group of farmers and ranchers, rural and urban communities and others who depend on a healthy food system....

Case made for ‘evolutionary’ change to farm bill

Jan 30, 2007,

By Ron Smith
Farm Press Editorial Staff

Few farmers or their association representatives expect Congress to enact the next farm bill without at least minor changes to the one currently in place. But change, most say, should not be radical....

Peterson: Doha deal had better be good

Jan 30, 2007,

By Forrest Laws
Farm Press Editorial Staff

Unless the Bush administration can win major concessions in a revival of the Doha Round negotiations, it shouldn’t look to the House Agriculture Committee for help in passing a new WTO agreement....

Newcomers trying to put green tint on next farm bill

Jan 26, 2007,

By Forrest Laws
Farm Press Editorial Staff

The halls of Congress are likely to be a bit more crowded when lobbyists for traditional farm organizations begin making their rounds on the new farm bill later this year....

Will fourth time be the charm for disaster bill?

Jan 25, 2007,

By Forrest Laws
Farm Press Editorial Staff

If at first you don’t succeed try, try again. If you look at Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, you might find a photo of Sen. Kent Conrad next to the listing for that old saying....

Farm bill — if it’s not broken …

Jan 11, 2007,

By Elton Robinson
Farm Press Editorial Staff

There is an old axiom in life that is an effective comment on the act of meddling — if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it. This advice could be applied to the writing of a new farm bill, according to Paul Combs, a rice, cotton, wheat and soybean producer from Kennett, Mo....

Peterson aiming for September passage of new farm bill

Jan 9, 2007,

By Forrest Laws
Farm Press Editorial Staff

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson says he plans to have a new farm bill through the House and a House-Senate conference committee...

Ag committees could divide on party, payment limit lines

Jan 5, 2007,

By Forrest Laws
Farm Press Editorial Staff

Democrats took control of the House and Senate by mixing their core vote of liberals, urbanites, African-Americans and union households with...

Congress’ performance doesn’t measure up to some expectations

Dec 18, 2006,

By Forrest Laws
Farm Press Editorial Staff

Was the glass half-empty or half-full? How you rate Congress’ performance in the session just ended may depend on your perception...

Farm policy debate centering on extension of current program

Dec 15, 2006,

By Elton Robinson
Farm Press Editorial Staff

A year ago, an extension of the 2002 farm bill was the best agricultural commodity organizations could have hoped for as debate on the 2007 farm bill began. Today...