|
Legislative Update
Farm Bill to land on table
Sen. Jim Webb
Later this month, the Senate will turn its attention to the 2007 Farm Bill. This legislation is considered every five years in order to renew the nation's basic agricultural programs, including the loan and price support programs that have helped ensure a safe and abundant food supply for the American people. An important secondary goal of the Farm Bill is to support farm income and strengthen investment in our nation's rural communities.
Agriculture and forestry are critical to Virginia's economy. They generate more than $47 billion annually and employ thousands of people in a wide range of jobs. From tomato growers on the Eastern Shore to peanut and cotton growers in Southside to dairymen in the Shenandoah Valley, the Farm Bill is vital to our entire state.
I have deep roots in Southwest Virginia and I appreciate the challenges facing farms today. This is especially true in light of the severe droughts experienced throughout the state, the rising costs of fuel and feed, and higher land prices. Through the Farm Bill and the economic development programs it supports, Congress helps farmers confront these challenges and builds stronger economies in our rural communities.
As the Senate takes up the 2007 Farm Bill, one of our highest priorities must be to ensure that Virginia's agricultural products are competitive in domestic and global marketplaces. I will work to ensure that the loan and price support programs for corn, soybeans, peanuts, milk and other commodities provide the right incentives to encourage adequate production at fair prices.
A second priority must be land conservation. In recent years, the Farm Bill has placed renewed emphasis on environmental stewardship and sustainable farming practices. For Virginia and our neighboring states, this emphasis on conservation has particular significance for the ongoing efforts to clean-up the Chesapeake Bay. Through the Farm Bill, I am working with Sen. Warner to provide increased funding to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay. The legislation we introduced, the Chesapeake's Healthy and Environmentally Sound Stewardship of Energy and Agriculture Act, will provide funding to help farmers implement best management practices and build much needed buffers to reduce fertilizer and waste runoff into our rivers and streams.
Beyond farm income security and land conservation, we must also work to diversify and expand domestic sources of ethanol. While increased production and use of ethanol has helped advance the goal of energy independence, it has had the unintended consequence of sharply increasing costs for corn and other sources of feed. This in turn has negatively affected beef cattle, dairy and poultry producers. I believe it is important to invest in alternative sources of ethanol, such as switchgrass or corn stover, to alleviate these burdens.
The Farm Bill is more than just agricultural policy. For Virginia's 47,000 farms, it is an investment in our rural communities that will help ensure their vitality and prosperity. Rural development programs in the Farm Bill also focus on renewing critical infrastructure such as water and waste facilities, expanding broadband access and addressing healthcare access, emergency services and first responder needs.
| 
