Sen. Boozman pushing for farm aid
U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is keenly aware that farmers are in a crisis, but solving the dilemma is proving elusive and time-consuming. Still optimistic, Boozman said he has been meeting with colleagues and the White House to address the situation.
By: Roby Brock
Talk Business & Politics
U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is keenly aware that farmers are in a crisis, but solving the dilemma is proving elusive and time-consuming.
Still optimistic, Boozman said he has been meeting with colleagues and the White House to address the situation.
“I think your description as a crisis doesn’t understate the problem at all. It’s not only in Arkansas, but it’s throughout the country, and agriculture is not about Democrats and Republicans,” said Boozman.
“We’re in the situation where everything is down unless you’re raising livestock, and it’s not just located in the South or the Midwest – these things also are regional, but not just in the South or Midwest or the Great Plains, it’s again throughout the country. So it really is a crisis. The bottom line is our farmers are in a position where when they put a crop in, it is costing them more than they’ll be able to sell it for, and some right now simply can’t find a market.”
Farmers are contending with low commodity prices, high input costs, decreasing markets, and incomplete or delayed Farm Bill provisions. Arkansas’ agriculture sector is projected to lose $1.4 billion this season.
Boozman said he is trying to build momentum among colleagues to provide economic relief like they did last year when Congress helped farmers with $31 billion in economic and disaster relief. He’s not sure what the dollar figure or timeline to bail out farmers in their current predicament could be.
“I know it’s significant and as far as I’m concerned, whatever vehicle we need to use, or everything’s on the table. But as far as the number, there’s going to be a lot of moving parts there and a lot of people are going to have to participate,” he said.
“Certainly it needs to happen in the next few months, as far as 30 days or whatever. These things take awhile to get done, as you know. Right now, we’re building momentum to get it done. I’ve met with members, I’m meeting with the White House tomorrow. So again, just covering all of our bases. The good news is my experience is that members are open to doing something. They’re hearing this at home just like our delegation is hearing it,” he said. “So once it looks like I think that we’re going to go forward and the word gets out that it’s going to happen, then I think that’ll take some of the pressure off from the lenders that will make them feel better knowing that there’s a pot of money out there that’s going to go out and help them, help the farmers service their debts, which is the main thing.”
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