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The 1949 farm bill guaranteeIf farmers have one thing going for them in the seemingly endless farm bill debate, it is the 1949 farm bill. There's been a lot of talk in the agricultural press about the bill, namely that if the farm bill legislation expires, we will revert back to the 1949 bill. I'm not sure how that bill happened to be crafted as permanent legislation, but it is a benefit to growers in 2008. It is, for all practical purposes, a guarantee that if a bill is not signed by the March expiration, the 2002 farm bill will be extended again. During his first official outing as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Schafer told agricultural reporters at the Cattle Industry Convention last week, he did not intend to prepare his staff to enforce the 1949 law. "Washington won't let that happen," he told us. And he's right, of course. Times have changed since 1949. There are gaping holes in the legislation, namely the nutrition programs that fund food stamps. The old bill is unrealistic nearly 60 years later. Members of Congress will not let that happen, lest they be blamed for the country's poorest citizens going hungry. All the 1949 farm bill talk stems from President Bush's threats of a veto. While reverting to the 1949 bill is almost certainly out of the realm of likelihood, a presidential veto is a real possibility. Schafer spent a good portion of his address to cattle producers telling them that a presidential veto is certain, should the farm bill conference committee not change the area of taxes and farm program reform. But at the same time, Schafer said he was much more optimistic last week than he had been the week before that an acceptable bill will reach the President's desk. Let's hope so. Producers are ready and need to know now, instead of later, in order to make good business decisions. But if all else fails, we know the 1949 farm bill ensures that something will happen. Holly Martin can be reached by phone at 1-800-452-7171 ext. 1806 or e-mail at hmartin@hpj.com. 2/18/08 Date: 2/13/08
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