Each Thursday, we put one of our local newsmakers On The Spot. This week: U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri
This week's question: What kind of federal assistance can Cayuga County farmers expect under the farm bill currently under construction in Washington?
Agriculture remains the number one industry in New York, and with 881 local farms, a key component of the Cayuga County economy. Every five years, Congress reauthorizes all federal agriculture related programs #- the “Farm Bill.”
To represent local interests, I hosted an agricultural forum in Auburn last year and had several meetings with local farmers to learn first-hand what projects to fight for during the Farm Bill debate.
The House-passed Farm Bill includes a five-year extension of the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program that would provide New York's 6,200 dairy farmers, including 173 in Cayuga County, with a safety net from volatile shifts in market prices. Rising energy and feed costs put local dairy farmers in an unstable economic situation because they have no control over the price of milk. As a member of the Rules Committee, I was able to offer two amendments urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to consider rising energy and feed prices when setting prices for milk. I am working with colleagues from the Northeast to ensure that the Senate's MILC provision, which is more generous to local dairy farmers, is included in the final Farm Bill.
Apples, grapes and vegetables are critical components of the Cayuga County and entire Finger Lakes economy. I support including $1.5 billion in the Farm Bill to strengthen the fruit and vegetable industry by expanding the specialty crop block grant program, which allows states to support projects from marketing to pest management.
I also strongly support including funding for agriculture conservation, including a $280 million boost for the Farm and Ranchland Protection program. While these are just three examples of our local priorities, I am working diligently on behalf of all of New York agriculture.
The House and Senate are now in the process of negotiating different versions of the Farm Bill. I am committed to ensuring that the final Farm Bill includes provisions from both Chambers, which best reflect local needs.
I remain committed to working in a bipartisan way to ensure that the priorities of Cayuga County farmers are included in the final Farm Bill.
Agriculture remains the number one industry in New York, and with 881 local farms, a key component of the Cayuga County economy. Every five years, Congress reauthorizes all federal agriculture related programs #- the “Farm Bill.”
To represent local interests, I hosted an agricultural forum in Auburn last year and had several meetings with local farmers to learn first-hand what projects to fight for during the Farm Bill debate.
The House-passed Farm Bill includes a five-year extension of the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program that would provide New York's 6,200 dairy farmers, including 173 in Cayuga County, with a safety net from volatile shifts in market prices. Rising energy and feed costs put local dairy farmers in an unstable economic situation because they have no control over the price of milk. As a member of the Rules Committee, I was able to offer two amendments urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to consider rising energy and feed prices when setting prices for milk. I am working with colleagues from the Northeast to ensure that the Senate's MILC provision, which is more generous to local dairy farmers, is included in the final Farm Bill.
Apples, grapes and vegetables are critical components of the Cayuga County and entire Finger Lakes economy. I support including $1.5 billion in the Farm Bill to strengthen the fruit and vegetable industry by expanding the specialty crop block grant program, which allows states to support projects from marketing to pest management.
I also strongly support including funding for agriculture conservation, including a $280 million boost for the Farm and Ranchland Protection program. While these are just three examples of our local priorities, I am working diligently on behalf of all of New York agriculture.
The House and Senate are now in the process of negotiating different versions of the Farm Bill. I am committed to ensuring that the final Farm Bill includes provisions from both Chambers, which best reflect local needs.
I remain committed to working in a bipartisan way to ensure that the priorities of Cayuga County farmers are included in the final Farm Bill.
The Citizens' Say
There are 6 comment(s)
puzzled1 wrote on Mar 4, 2008 9:03 PM:
doug96 wrote on Mar 4, 2008 7:11 PM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 29, 2008 2:11 PM:
As far as I am concerned, a small family (dairy) farm has no more than 200 animals, tops. (In NYS, more than 200 animals is a CAFO). Most of them are owned by a single fat-cat "farmer" (who sits in an office, not on a tractor much less does he milk his own cows).
I don't disagree with anything you are saying. My farmer fella and his dad always refused to take subsidies of any form from the government and always took pride in making their own way. But I can't find anything on the site for which you sent a link that shows that the listed businesses which received farm subsidies were "small family farms." "
Claymer wrote on Feb 29, 2008 1:01 PM:
Congressman Arcuri is wrong and has swallowed Farm Bureau type rhetoric hook, line and sinker when it comes to sound bites. Hey, 2007 was a record year for uniform prices received by dairy farmers!
By the way, the reason prices fluctuate is a good thing. Does Congressman Arcuri understand that "volatile shifts in market prices" are due to dairy farmer over production? Why should we pay more for something when production goes up, that is backwards economics, typical Democratic socialist thinking!
Arcuri is wrong in his statement that "they have no control over the price of milk", that is not true. Decades ago, dairy farmers decided it was all for one and one for all and created the Federal Milk Market Order System. That system is set up to ensure fair (meaning shared equal) prices for all dairy farmers. Dairy farmers can ask the coop they are a member in, (70% belong in NY State) to pay them more money. Nothing in the federal order system prevents negotiating for higher prices!
Click here to learn more about the Federal Milk Marketing Order:
http://www.fmmone.com/
2004 and 2005 respectively were record or second best price years. 2008 will be the second best year ever. Yes, costs are going up, but the fact is that the higher milk prices, almost 60% higher in 07 than 06 are more than offsetting the higher costs. If dairy farmers are not satisfied with their system, then change it or get rid of it.
My tax dollars do not need to be spent on subsidizing dairy farmers or a product there is no shortage of. Maybe some inefficient dairy farmers should find another BUSINESS to get into if the one they are in is not making it. Stop these socialist handouts. Start competing like other businesses.
If you want to really see who is getting subsidies, notice no big Agri business, just “ small family farms” click here:
http://farm.ewg.org/sites/farmbill2007/numentities.php?numentities=2
http://farm.ewg.org/sites/farmbill2007/region1614.php?fips=36000
"
AJ wrote on Feb 29, 2008 12:10 PM:
I also wonder how much this "pest management" directly relates to subsidies for chemicals. "
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:52 PM:
Corporate Agribusiness does not bring employment to our county -- the jobs all go to Guatemalans who send as much of their wages out of the country as they can.
Corporate Agribusiness pollutes our air, water and soil in ways that small farmers just do not.
Corporate Agribusiness is guilty of "chemical bodily trespass" on our residents.
Corporate Agribusiness sucks up all the federal grant monies meant to help struggling farmers when the CAFOs are already sitting pretty financially.
Instead, please look into more stringent enforcement by the DEC of the regulations which are supposedly supposed to be protecting our environment and health -- because they are in the backpockets of Corporate Agribusiness and blow people off when they call in with concerns about the pollutants in the air and water.
Corporate Agribusiness doesn't need any more hand-outs meant for struggling farms. "