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WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2007 - Agriculture Secretary
Mike Johanns today unveiled the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's 2007 farm bill proposals. The more
than 65 proposals correspond to the 2002 farm bill
titles with additional special focus areas,
including specialty crops, beginning farmers and
ranchers, and socially disadvantaged producers.
"We listened closely to producers and
stakeholders all across the country and took a
reform-minded and fiscally responsible approach to
making farm policy more equitable, predictable and
protected from challenge," said Johanns. "We started
with the 2002 farm bill and propose to improve it by
bolstering support for emerging priorities and
focusing on a market-oriented approach."
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.
The proposals unveiled today represent the final
phase of a nearly two year process. Each detailed
proposal provides information about why a change is
needed, the recommended solution, and relevant
background information about the impacted program or
policy.
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
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| 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 |
| Provide $250 million to increase direct
payments for beginning farmers and ranchers,
reserve a percentage of conservation funds and
provide more loan flexibility for down payment,
land purchasing and farm operating loans
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| Support socially disadvantaged farmers and
ranchers by reserving a percentage of conservation
assistance funds and providing more access to
loans for down payments, land purchasing and farm
operating |
| Strengthen disaster relief by establishing a
revenue-based counter-cyclical program, providing
gap coverage in crop insurance, linking crop
insurance participation to farm program
participation, and creating a new emergency
landscape restoration program |
| Simplify and consolidate rural development
programs while providing $1.6 billion in loans to
rehabilitate all current Rural Critical Access
Hospitals and $500 million in grants and loans for
rural communities to decrease the backlog of rural
infrastructure projects |
| Dedicate nearly $400 million to trade efforts
to expand exports, fight trade barriers, and
increase involvement in world trade
standard-setting bodies |
| Simplify, modernize, and rename the Food Stamp
Program to improve access for the working poor,
better meet the needs of recipients and States,
and strengthen program integrity |
The Administration's 2007 farm bill proposals
would spend approximately $10 billion less than the
2002 farm bill spent over the past five years
(excluding ad-hoc disaster assistance), upholding
the President's plan to eliminate the deficit in
five years. These proposals would provide
approximately $5 billion more than the projected
spending if the 2002 farm bill were extended.
The proposals are available at
www.usda.gov/farmbill. Also posted on USDA's
website are the Farm Bill Forum transcripts, farm
bill comments submitted by the public, theme papers
summarizing the comments and USDA analysis papers.
Fact Sheet: A Commitment to Rural America
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