Jerry Moran: “when farmers break down in the field during harvest, they do not have the luxury of hauling their equipment to the shop…”

“when farmers break down in the field during harvest, they do not have the luxury of hauling their equipment to the shop to wait on time-consuming repairs. Instead, they uses the tools they have available at the time, a pliers, a hammer, baling wire, to get the equipment moving again and to get the crop in the bin. Mr. Speaker, it is harvest time in Kansas, and our markets are having a breakdown. Farmers in Kansas and across America are facing tough times. The wheat harvest is well underway, and while the yields have been satisfactory, farmers are facing the lowest prices in recent memory, due in large part to lagging exports of U.S. commodities. Projections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast agricultural exports declining $5 billion this year. This decline is having a serious impact on the bottom line for Kansas farm families. Current wheat prices are $1 lower than those received during the last 2 years. One of our best chances to lift commodity prices and breathe life into the farm economy is through an aggressive export policy. The House of Representatives today made a significant move in that direction. Today we passed the agricultural appropriation bill for 1999. Under this legislation, the P.L. 480 Food for Peace Program is fully funded at over $1 billion.”