Too Many Freebies Hurting Idaho Farms?
Monday, June 4, 2007
The farming field is not a level playing field in Idaho, or across the country according to an agriculture group that is singing the praises of legislation proposed for the next farm bill. The Rural America Preservation Act would eliminate loopholes that have allowed big business farms to collect unlimited government payments. Chuck Hassebrook with the Center for Rural Affairs wants a hard cap of $40,000 in direct payments to large farms will put them on even footing competitively with the "small guys."
"It makes the program work better to strengthen family farms, and it frees up money to invest in the future of rural America."
Hassebrook adds that factory farms have used the government payments to bid land away from smaller operations. He says
Farm Bill funding is slim, so cutting unnecessary expenses means investments can made elsewhere, like in small business development for rural areas.
"To me, it's a no-brainer. We need to be investing in our future in rural America, and we need to stop subsidizing the destruction of family farming."
Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo (R) will help decide the issue. He's on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
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