Farmers haVe an extended deadline for filing taxes this year, but a tax specialist suggests they file as they have in the past. ...........4
hog production costs have eaten into profits in recent years, but a reduction in feed costs is being projected. ........................5
Freshman u.s. rep. Rodney Davis has formed a Mississippi River Valley caucus to address issues along the river. .....................8
Monday, February 11, 2013
Two sections Volume 41, No. 6
Vilsack: Farm bill ‘imperative,’ failure costly BY MARTIN ROSS FarmWeek
Periodicals: Time Valued
Passage of a 2013 farm bill is “imperative” and the potential public cost of congressional failure is extreme, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack advised last week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) recent reintroduction of the Senate’s 2012 farm bill package signaled farm bill resolution is “a Senate priority,” Vilsack said following his keynote address at last week’s National Ethanol Conference in Las Vegas. Reid’s support reflects Senate Ag Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow’s (DMich.) efforts in “encouraging her colleagues to understand the importance of a food, farm, and jobs bill,” he maintained. “There’s probably still some work to be done on the bill, because you now have a different ranking (Ag Committee) member in Sen. (Thad) Cochran (R-Miss.),” Vilsack told FarmWeek. “He may have slightly different views on the structures that support farmers, coming from the South and given the crops raised there.
“But I believe he’s interested in working out those differences and getting something done quickly. And I think the House Ag Committee has the same motivation to get something done.” Concerns about high milk prices (should the impasse cause a reversion to 1949 law) reportedly motivated lawmakers to extend 2008 farm bill provisions through September, and Vilsack urged Congress to “figure out something creatively on dairy (policy).” The Senate proposes a new dairy margin protection plan aimed at addressing high feed
FarmWeekNow.com Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says passage of a 2013 farm bill is imperative. For more details, go to FarmWeekNow.com.
costs and dairy price volatility. However, Vilsack warned a shrinking federal budget baseline for dairy programs will make it difficult to find “that sweet spot where both (House Ag Committee Ranking Democrat) Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and (House Speaker) John Boehner (R-Ohio) are happy.” Vilsack stressed the economic implications of timely farm bill passage. Across-the-
board budget sequestration (cuts) — slated for March, barring a congressional deficit-reduction compromise — would make it difficult to take savings from direct payment elimination and “plow that into a new (safety net) system,” he said. Further, he noted sequester cuts would force a temporary furlough for USDA food safety personnel and thus a shortterm shutdown of federally inspected meat plants. That
means “billions and billions of dollars’ impact on the market,” Vilsack warned. He advocates a “strong” farm bill energy title as a key component in efforts to “rebuild the rural economy.” Other linchpins in rural recovery include ag production and exports, conservation programs linked to recreation, local and regional food systems, he said. “All that has to be in a farm bill,” Vilsack said.
Quinn delivers tough challenges for lawmakers BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek
Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen, left, acknowledges Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack’s support for biofuels development at last week’s National Ethanol Conference in Las Vegas. (Photo by Martin Ross)
FarmWeek on the web: FarmWeekNow.com
Gov. Pat Quinn challenged state lawmakers with a lengthy to-do list last week in his State of the State address. Speaking to members of both chambers, the governor urged action on “the toughest of issues” — reforming the state pension system that has a $97-billion unfunded liability, the worst in the nation. “We cannot allow our economic recovery to be held hostage by the pension crisis. We simply must act,” Quinn said. He praised Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) for his legislative proposal and Gov. Pat Quinn House Republican Leader Tom Cross (ROswego) and Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-Northbrook) for their bipartisan efforts. In addition to pension reform, the state’s chief executive lobbed several other tough issues at the General Assembly. He urged legislators to raise the state’s minimum hourly wage from $8.25 to $10 over the next four years. “Nobody in Illinois should work 40 hours a week and live in poverty,” Quinn said. The governor raised the issue of gun violence and pressed legislators to ban the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines in the state. “We must abide with the Second Amendment, but there is no place in our state for military-style weapons designed for rapid fire at human targets at close range,” Quinn said. The state would be safer with stronger background checks for firearm owners and required reporting of lost or stolen guns, the governor claimed. He also supported legislation requiring every school to practice safety drills. Looking ahead to the next election, Quinn called for open primaries that would not require voters to publicly declare their party affiliation and for online voter registration. “We must move our election process into the 21st century,” he said. The governor admitted lawmakers will need political courage “to do the right thing.” “With courage, hard is not impossible,” he concluded. Illinois Farm Bureau®on the web: www.ilfb.org