Farming and Agriculture: Alabama’s Lifeblood

May 22, 2010

Agriculture is the heartbeat of our economy in Alabama.  Farming and the businesses it supports account for 21% of Alabama’s workforce and $43 billion of the state’s output.

I recently took part in a series of Field Hearings with the Agriculture Committee to prepare for the 2012 Farm Bill.

Hearings began in Morrow, Georgia, then over to Troy, Alabama, where Congressman Bobby Bright (AL-02) and I co-hosted the hearing.  I was pleased to have three witnesses from East Alabama there to testify:  Mr. Lamar Dewberry a forestry producer in Lineville; Mr. Doug Gibbs, a beef producer from Ranburne; and Dr. Steven Taylor from Auburn University.

After the hearing in Troy, we headed to Lubbock, Texas, and then finished in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The Farm Bill ensures America can feed itself. Unlike too many of our industries, which have outsourced jobs overseas, our farmers continue to produce most of our food right here. That means jobs. It also means we are less reliant on other countries for our essentials.

The Farm Bill also has a number of important non-farm provisions as well, like funding for rural broadband service and nutrition programs like food stamps and school lunches.

Judging by the feedback we got at these hearings, the 2012 Farm Bill debate will again see tension between the bill’s two primary goals: a safety net for U.S. producers so they can continue operating and producing the safest and most affordable food supply in the world, and its important nutrition programs.  Believe it or not, conservation and farm support programs only account for 32 percent of the spending in the farm bill while nutrition programs account for 67 percent. 

Some farmers raised specific concerns about the new program authorized under the 2008 Farm Bill called Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE), which was designed to act as a possible replacement for current farm support programs. It was clear from these hearings that the ACRE program is not an effective tool in the south. 

Others emphasized concerns about crop insurance, which helps farmers survive the ups and downs caused by weather or disease. Some of the current policies aren’t fulfilling their stated goals. 

Most folks remember the three years of drought Alabama recently suffered, which was especially hard on Alabama’s farmers.  In years past, Congress passed bills to provide relief from individual disasters in an ad hoc manner. 

In the 2008 Farm Bill we attempted to address this by creating a permanent disaster program called the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE).  Many of the producers expressed frustration with the SURE program because of its slow response and cumbersome bureaucracy.   

Information like this is invaluable to hear.  These witnesses live with the regulations Congress enforces, and knowing what works and what doesn’t will help Members be a stronger voice for our farmers and producers.

As Congress begins the debate on the Farm Bill for 2012, I’ll continue to hold Agriculture Advisory Committee meetings so I can stay on top of the issues most important to the agriculture sector in East Alabama.   Please contact me at www.house.gov/mike-rogers.