News Releases for May 2002
May 8, 2002
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Statement Of Governor John Hoeven On Passage Of Farm Bill Conference Committee Report
BISMARCK, N.D. - Governor John Hoeven today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate’s 64-35 approval of the farm bill conference committee report this afternoon:
“I am pleased that the Congress has granted final approval to a six-year farm bill. The mix of direct payments along with a counter-cyclical price support structure is exactly the mechanism that I endorsed nearly two years ago. The new farm bill will help provide the support necessary for farmers to make long-term investments in production agriculture and in value- added processing opportunities that will help them prosper and build their future.
“It is vitally important that the farm bill include a safety net for farmers, but I am disappointed that it does not contain a $2.5 billion appropriation for crop disaster assistance. The emergency spending would have helped producers who suffered disease and drought-related losses in 2001 begin this season on solid footing.
“I have been in regular contact with the White House to urge support of the farm bill, and I believe that the President will sign it as soon as it reaches his desk. I have also urged the Administration to move forward aggressively in implementing the bill’s key commodity support provisions. It is important that the U.S. Department of Agriculture provide timely information about the mechanics of the program to farmers during the course of the summer. Our office, too, will help to get information to producers to assist them in working within this new farm program.”
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