Byron Dorgan: “Farmers, farm suppliers, farm credit agencies, and bankers are waiting. They need to know what the farm program will be…”

“Farmers, farm suppliers, farm credit agencies, and bankers are waiting. They need to know what the farm program will be in 1996. Every day that they wait for that answer is another day in which they cannot plan or prepare for planting the 1996 crops. They are waiting for Congress to act, because the farm bill that was supposed to be debated and adopted in 1995 has not been debated nor adopted. Congress has a responsibility to farmers to tell them what kind of farm program they will be operating under this spring. Farmers should not be the victims of the failure of Congress to enact a 5-year farm program. It was not their fault that a farm bill didn't get enacted on a timely basis. We are rapidly running out of time. I would prefer a full 5-year farm bill that provides some fundamental reform to our current farm policies. I believe in providing a solid safety net for our Nation's family farmers, and making preservation and enhancement of our Nation's family farm system as the primary goal of our Nation's farm policy.”