Milling & Baking News - March 14, 2006 - 18
W A S H I N G T O N
control, such as severe weather events,
bring economic disaster. Important
programs include university and other
funding, Conservation Security Program, rural development and small
business grants and loans, and affordable and effective crop insurance."
Mr. Knopf said support aimed at improving the quality of life in rural communities was important in encouraging young
people to start farming on their own and
to make a career of production agriculture.
He suggested the farm bill could facilitate
means by which retiring farmers and starting farmers could work together in setting
up new farming operations, as the obstacle
of securing land to farm has proved more
difficult to many young people aspiring to
be farmers than securing credit.
Mr. Knopf provided a starting farmer 's perspective of the Conservation
Reserve Program.
"The C.R.P. has become a threat for
some young producers," Mr. Knopf
said. "C.R.P. needs to focus on land
not desirable for farming, and payments need to be at a level where producers are not competing against the
U.S.D.A. for farm ground."
Mr. Knopf spoke for many who said
the farm bill should encourage crop
production for ethanol and biodiesel.
"An emphasis should be made on
supporting farmer-owned coopera-
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N.G.T.C. urges Senate
to act on C.F.T.C.
reauthorization
WASHINGTON - Jula J. Kinnaird, president, National Grain Trade Council, on
March 8 wrote Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, Senate majority leader, and Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, Senate minority leader, to encourage them to expedite
legislation reauthorizing the Commodity
Futures Trading Commission.
C.F.T.C. authorizing legislation expired Sept. 30, 2005. The House of Representatives passed a bill reauthorizing
the commission Dec. 14, 2005. The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry passed its version of
the C.F.T.C. reauthorization in July last
year, but the measure failed to make it to
the Senate floor before the winter recess.
There are differences between the House
and Senate bills that will have to be hammered out, so it was important that the
Senate leadership move the process forward, Ms. Kinnaird said.
"N.G.T.C. is a strong supporter of the
movement from prescriptive regulation
to the core principles of the Commodity
Futures Modernization Act of 2002 and
believes that it has been very effective in
achieving its goals," Ms. Kinnaird wrote.
"By moving the Commodity Exchange
Reauthorization Act of 2005 forward,
you will allow the industry to continue
to evolve and prosper."
Since the expiration of authorizing
legislation, the C.F.T.C. has continued to
operate as usual and was expected to do
so until the reauthorization legislation
takes effect. MBN
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com
tives that will produce these products," Mr. Knopf said. "It is important
to continue funding new research on
developing and further refining renewable energy and fuel so we can
produce it cheaper and more efficiently than current methods. In the
meantime, legislation should offer
increasing incentive for industries to
use renewable fuels such as biodiesel
and ethanol." MBN
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