Saturday, May 18, 2013

Latest news, weather and high school sports for Albany and Southwest Georgia

Expected cuts in Farm Bill will affect Georgians
Posted: 03.16.2012 at 2:59 PM
0
Sen.. Saxby Chambliss says the Farm Bill is facing numerous cuts because of the federal deficit  / Sarah Bleau
Slideshow
Photo:

Sen.. Saxby Chambliss spoke in Tifton about the future of the Farm Bill and received citizen feedback

TIFTON, GA --  

The Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture says it’s time people learned the whole truth about the Farm Bill.

“When you have a farm bill those are the funding mechanisms for the future of the u.s. department of agriculture, that means the meat that you eat, the eggs you eat, you have to insure the safety of them through our inspection services,” says Gary W. Black, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture.

He says many do not realize that 80 percent of the Farm Bill is nutrition programs.

“Food stamps, school nutrition: All of that is roped into the total cost of a Farm Bill,” says Black.

Black says he wants to see the continuation of programs like this and the addition of more programs bringing organic food to schools in the bill, but Sen.. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) says the bill actually faces more cuts.

“Every federal agency is going to be asked to pay their fair share when it comes to reducing the deficit. Our country is in serious financial trouble,” says Chambliss.

He says programs that can’t be justified financially are first on the chopping block.

“Our farmers where whether you grow peanuts, cottons, corn, soy beans... you've been used to getting direct payments based upon your base acres that you farm. That’s no longer going to be the case,” says Chambliss.

The STEP 2 and countercyclical – or safety nets in case of low crop prices – cotton programs won’t be included in the Farm Bill renewal either.

“It's going to be more of a revenue type program, more of an insurance type program. Peanuts is going to be a little bit different, it'll be somewhat the same but won't be exactly the same type of cyclical program that we've had,” says Chambliss.

For now, programs that affect consumer protection and nutrition may escape the cuts.

Popular Stories
Thumbnail
Preventative maintenance could go a long way
Sean Streicher  |  Yesterday at 2:02 PM
Thumbnail
MCLB Albany preparing for potential furloughs
FOX 31 News Team  |  Yesterday at 3:17 PM  |  1 comment
Thumbnail
Dougherty County sex offender now behind bars
Sean Streicher  |  Yesterday at 11:49 AM
Follow My Southwest GA
Get news and weather notifications on your phone by downloading the iPhone or Android app below
Sign up to get alerts and updates for breaking news, severe weather, and deals:
submit
ADVERTISEMENT
Special Features
Bright Side
Spreading the good news around Southwest Georgia!
Win a booster seat!
Click above for your chance to win a booster seat and get safety tips for your child!
Legal
Finding the right lawyer to handle your needs is important.
ADVERTISEMENT