Tom Harkin: “One of my neighbors keeps asking me. He said, ``I hear about all these farm problems.'' He lives in a city. He said, ``I…”

“One of my neighbors keeps asking me. He said, ``I hear about all these farm problems.'' He lives in a city. He said, ``I can't understand, if the farmers aren't making money, how come I'm not seeing lower prices in the store?'' They don't understand that. I think the Senator from North Dakota pointed out that consumers aren't seeing it in the store. The fact is that bread has gone up in the last couple years, not down. The large grain companies, the shippers, the monopolies are reaping a windfall. They are buying these products from the farmer, not at wholesale, but at fire sale prices. In listening to the Senator, I could not help but remember what John Kennedy said in Sioux City, IA, when he was running for President in 1960. He made the statement: ``The farmer is the only person who buys retail, sells wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.'' Well, now today farmers aren't even selling wholesale. They are selling at fire sale prices--not only wheat, but corn and soybeans. And pork prices, this year, are probably going to average their lowest since 1974. They are working at extremely low cattle prices. So all across the agricultural sector, we have a terrible crisis.”