Growers and Grocers

On Wednesday morning, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns released the USDA’s proposals for the farm bill.

USDA began preparations for the 2007 farm bill in 2005 by conducting 52 Farm Bill Forums across the country. More than 4,000 comments were recorded or collected during forums and via electronic and standard mail. These comments are summarized in 41 theme papers. USDA economists, led by Dr. Keith Collins, studied the comments and authored five analysis papers.

[…]

Highlights of the proposals include (funding reflects ten year totals):

* Increase conservation funding by $7.8 billion, simplify and consolidate conservation programs, create a new Environmental Quality Incentives Program and a Regional Water Enhancement Program

* Provide $1.6 billion in new funding for renewable energy research, development and production, targeted for cellulosic ethanol, which will support $2.1 billion in guaranteed loans for cellulosic projects and includes $500 million for a bio-energy and bio-based product research initiative

* Target nearly $5 billion in funding to support specialty crop producers by increasing nutrition in food assistance programs, including school meals, through the purchase of fruits and vegetables, funding specialty crop research, fighting trade barriers and expanding export markets

[…]

The USDA website also has the transcript of Secretary Johanns’ remarks during the unveiling.

Responses to the Secretary’s proposal started piling up almost immediately. Here are a few:

• Environmental Defense
• International Dairy Foods Association
• Cato Institute
• The Grocery Manufacturers/Food Products Association
• Rep. Cardoza (D-CA), member of the House Agriculture Committee
• Sen. Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee
• Sen Chambliss (R-GA), ranking minority member of the Senate Agriculture Committee

An official proposal from the USDA is a critical part of the theatrics of the Farm Bill process, but in this political environment — an extremely unpopular president, Congress led by a party that has been abused by the executive branch for several years, an early presidential caucus in Iowa in 2008 — I think this statement from Sen. Chambliss (R-GA), nicely describes the relevance of the USDA’s recommendations (my emphasis):

I value the Secretary’s recommendations; however, ultimately it is up to Congress to write comprehensive farm policy. Most importantly, this proposal should not be seen as a revision of our offer in the Doha Round. Congress will have the final say and set the final spending limits in the farm bill.