Monday, May 14, 2012

Column: Nebraska: Major Producer of Food, Fuel and Fiber

 By
Senator Ben Nelson

Nebraskans are rightfully proud of our role in helping feed and fuel America and the world. We are number one in production of many commodities from red meat to Great Northern Beans to popcorn. Nebraska is second in the nation in ethanol production pumping more than two billion gallons of this home grown fuel into the system each year. Our farmers and ranchers make us 5th in the nation in agriculture cash receipts. Nearly one-third of all Nebraska jobs are related to agriculture in one way or another.

Given agriculture’s importance to Nebraska’s economy and way of life, I am proud the Senate Agriculture Committee came together recently to produce a strong bipartisan bill, which was passed by a vote of 16 to 5.

The bill strengthens the agricultural safety net protecting America’s food, feed, fuel, and fiber supply. It streamlines and simplifies farm programs. It ends outdated subsidies. And most importantly, it sets an example for how Washington can cut the federal deficit by saving $23 billion in cuts to agricultural programs. 

All Americans Affected by Agriculture

The bill recognizes the role agriculture plays not just on farms and ranches, but in the lives of all Americans with its title, the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012. This title reflects the importance of Agriculture to jobs both in Nebraska and throughout the U.S. economy by supporting our rural communities.

It ensures our producers will be able to continue to produce enough food to feed both the U.S. and a growing world; and be leaders in feed, fuel, and fiber production.

The bill also makes major reforms to agricultural policy that creates a market-oriented safety net, eliminates direct payments, streamlines, simplifies and consolidates dozens of programs. These reforms will allow crop insurance to serve as the main component of an agricultural safety net allowing farmers and ranchers to select the best risk management for their production needs, rather than having to rely on the good will of the government to bail them out in periods of volatility.    

Widespread Support

In the Ag Committee we have produced a bill that cuts $23 billion from agricultural programs. Ag represents 2 percent of the nation’s budget and $23 billion represents 2 percent of the cuts proposed in the deficit legislation Congress worked on last year, but couldn’t pass because of partisanship. 

In a time of partisan gridlock and deficit concerns, it’s good to see that the Agriculture Committee has come together to maintain a strong safety net for our nation’s farmers and ranchers, while making a significant contribution to debt reduction.

I will continue to work with Senate leadership to ensure the full Senate takes up this bipartisan, deficit reducing piece of legislation as quickly as possible. It’s vitally important to our farmers and ranchers so they can continue to have a strong safety net to ensure that consumers across the country continue to have access to the most affordable and highest quality of food, feed, fuel, and fiber in the world.