Lateefah Simon: “I support this compromise farm bill. While I do not agree with everything in the bill, I think it has a chance of…”

“I support this compromise farm bill. While I do not agree with everything in the bill, I think it has a chance of passing the House and being signed into law. In many ways, it is a good bill for Illinois. It offers farmers limited certainty in the area of income protection, provides a safety net for farmers in future years, and protects our conservation programs, as well as important nutrition programs. Illinois is second to Iowa in soybean production, with 9.7 million acres planted to soybeans. Exports for soybeans and soybean products totaled $7.9 billion in 1995 making soybeans the largest exporter, in terms of value, in U.S. agriculture. This slight increase in the marketing loan rate creates some incentive for soybean production in the U.S., which helps our trade balance and is very good for Illinois farmers. The bill also retains permanent law for farm programs. Good agriculture policy protects family farms as well as consumers.”