Illinois farm groups largely praise farm bill

WASHINGTON -- Illinois farm groups praised the outline of a tentative agreement reached by lawmakers that would boost agriculture spending by 70 percent, raise subsidy rates and add new programs.

"The good news is we're seeing an agreement from the Senate and House on a farm bill," Chuck Spencer, a spokesman for the Illinois Farm Bureau, said Monday. "That helps farmers plan their economic future."

House and Senate negotiators announced Friday that they had reached the outlines of a tentative deal on a bill that would increase planned agriculture spending by $73.5 billion over the next 10 years, the limit allowed by last year's congressional budget agreement. Existing programs are expected to cost about $107 billion over the same period.

Jim Eichhorst, chief of staff to Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Sidney, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, said that for the first time soybeans will have a commodity program.

That will enable growers to receive subsidies regardless of market prices. They will no longer have to rely on the approval of emergency assistance to get help.

"Being a program puts us on a level playing field with other commodities," said Theresa Miller, spokeswoman for the Illinois Soybean Producers Association. "We're not being dealt with after the fact."

Conservation program

Farm groups also applauded the inclusion of a $17.1 billion conservation program that provides rewards to farmers for improved environmental practices. Pork producers expect much of it will go to help them comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements for manure management programs for their livestock.

"As far as we can tell this bill increases conservation spending by 80 percent," said Rod Weinzierl, executive director of the Illinois Corn Growers Association. "And that's a pretty big win for conservation."

Corn growers also are expecting their price guarantees, known as loan rates, to rise 5 percent.