David Obey: “Cranberry growers, as we know, like all farmers today, it seems they are in dire straits due to overproduction, massive…”

“Cranberry growers, as we know, like all farmers today, it seems they are in dire straits due to overproduction, massive overproduction and lower prices. It costs about $35 per barrel to produce cranberries. Some growers in my district are getting as little as $9 or $10 a barrel for their crop. The USDA recently announced its support for industry-proposed volume controls that are desperately needed to get a handle on overproduction. That is part of the solution, but will add to the farm income problems those cranberry growers are facing, so it seems to me we have to look for more things that can be done. Another part of the solution might be for USDA to purchase surplus products. USDA has been very responsive so far looking for opportunities to purchase surplus product, but much more needs to be done if we are to restore balance to supply and demand. As we know, cranberries are among the specialty crops eligible for purchase by the Secretary, with $200 million provided from the recently-passed crop insurance bill. Would the chairman work with me to urge USDA to aggressively use the authority it has to purchase surplus cranberry products in a way that will make a significant difference to the industry?”