TIFTON, Georgia– The Georgia Peanut Commission is disappointed in the Peanut Title for the 2007 Farm Bill released recently by the House Subcommittee for Specialty Crops. The bill extends the direct payment, counter-cyclical payment, and marketing loan peanut programs contained in the 2002 farm bill. The legislation is open for discussion now among committee members and during markup sessions subcommittee members will have the opportunity to offer amendments.

The Congressional Budget Office scored the peanut program earlier and the costs were used to determine the first markup of the peanut title by the House Subcommittee.

“We are working with the Congressional Budget Office to achieve peanut program scoring that more accurately reflects what our proposal costs,” says Armond Morris, chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission. “Our peanut Congressional delegation is committed to improving this bill and we will continue to work with them to ensure the best possible 2007 Farm Bill.”

Two amendments to the current law focus on the marketing loan rate and payment acres. The legislation raises the loan rate to $375 per ton, from $355 in the 2002 Farm Bill. The legislation also amends the definition of “payment acres” for the 2008 through 2012 crops of peanuts as meaning 74 percent of the base acres assigned to a farm. Under current law, payment acres are 85 percent of base acres.

“We appreciate the hard work of Congressional leaders from peanut districts on the peanut farmers’ behalf,” Morris says. “As the legislative process moves forward the Georgia Peanut Commission will continue to work on the farmers’ behalf by visiting with congressmen and their staff and expressing concerns and the needs of farmers in Georgia.”

This is the first step in the legislative process for writing the 2007 Farm Bill which expires September 30, 2007. At present time the full House Agriculture Committee has not scheduled their markup of the farm bill and the Senate has not scheduled action on writing the 2007 Farm Bill.

Peanut farmers are encouraged to visit, www.AmericanPeanuts.com, online to keep abreast of legislative issues as they occur.