News Releases for December 2002
December 5, 2002
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Hoeven Arranges Dalrymple Meeting With Top USDA Official On Oilseed Loan Rates
BISMARCK, N.D. - Governor John Hoeven arranged a meeting in Fargo today hosted by Lt. Governor Jack Dalrymple for farmers to press U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary J.B. Penn for revised oilseed loan rates.
Hoeven invited North Dakota farm leaders to join Dalrymple in pushing for a revision of minor oilseed loan rates to create a more balanced rate structure for North Dakota producers. Representatives of the sunflower, flax and crambe growers associations attended the meeting. Most minor oilseeds are raised in North Dakota.
“The Governor asked me to lay out clearly and factually our case that oilseed loan rates need to be adjusted upward to prevent distortions in the market that injure North Dakota farmers,” Dalrymple said. “It was clear at the end of our meeting, that Dr. Penn had not seen some of the information and was not aware of some of the justifications for adjusting the rates. We will attempt to resolve the issue through the USDA, before seeking a remedy in the Congress.”
Penn encouraged the producers to continue to provide information to USDA analysts in support of revised rates.
Hoeven has urged the USDA to revise the rates since they were announced in June, when the flaxseed loan rates were lowered from last year, and the crambe loan was dropped entirely. The changes in oilseed rates will likely be market distorting, something that the farm bill was supposed to fix, according to Hoeven.
“The loan rates have the potential to cause serious economic problems for oilseed producers in our state and elsewhere,” Hoeven said. “We believe the facts speak clearly - the rates are out of balance and need to be changed.”
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