Sanford Bishop: “This farm bill is something that is tremendously important to the people of the district that I represent. As many of my…”

“This farm bill is something that is tremendously important to the people of the district that I represent. As many of my colleagues already know, I represent the largest peanut growing district anywhere in the United States. Peanuts are a very, very important industry in south Georgia. I represent those very proudly, and I am here to talk about this farm bill because my farmers are anxious. The people in middle and south Georgia are concerned that we are here almost at the end of February with no farm bill. They do not know how much to plant, when they can plant. They do not know how much rent to pay, they do not know how much rent to charge. They do not know whether or not they will be able to get loans in order to finance their crop for the 1996 year. Time is of the essence. We cannot stop the calendar. We cannot stop nature. This farm bill must go forward. There is a lot that I do not like about this farm bill. The direction that we are taking our farm policy is not necessarily a good direction. Yet we have worked very hard to reform the peanut provisions in this bill. I believe that the peanut program has been very thoroughly and soundly reformed and that it will represent market orientation and a low net cost to taxpayers. There are some things we do not particularly care for, but at this point we must get a farm bill and we must get it passed now.”