Southern Peanut Farmers Federation pleased with House FARRM bill progress

Released: July 13, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C.– The U.S. House Agriculture Committee has approved H.R. 6083, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2012 (FARRM), by a vote of 35-11. The Southern Peanut Farmers Federation (SPFF) supported the bill.

The Southern Peanut Farmers Federation represents approximately 80% of U.S peanut production and is comprised of the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, the Florida Peanut Producers Association, the Mississippi Peanut Growers Associationand the Georgia Peanut Commission.

“We are very pleased the bill is moving forward. All regions of the U.S. and all commodities benefit from the farm policies in this legislation. The overwhelming bipartisan vote in support of the bill is indicative of the committee leadership that was inclusive throughout the process,” says SPFF chairman Armond Morris, a Georgia peanut producer and chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission. “House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., and Ranking Member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., should be commended for a job well done. This legislation provides a safety net for peanut producers and assures that producers have more control over decisions related to U.S. Department of Agriculture programs than in previous farm bills.”

In response to the approval of the bill, Chairman Lucas stated, “Today marked an important step forward in the development of the next farm bill. I appreciate the efforts of my colleagues and the bipartisan nature in which this legislation was written and approved. This is a balanced, reform-minded, fiscally responsible bill that underscores our commitment to production agriculture and rural America, achieves real savings, and improves program efficiency.”

Agreeing with the Chairman, and recognizing the work still to be done, Ranking Member Peterson commented, “I'm pleased today's markup is behind us and we can continue to move the process forward. The current farm bill expires on September 30 and there only 13 legislative days before the August recess. Simply put, the House leadership needs to bring the farm bill to the floor for a vote. We should not jeopardize the health of our rural economies which, by and large, have remained strong the last few years. Our nation’s farmers and ranchers need the certainty of a new five year farm bill and they need it before the current farm bill ends.”
The bill has not been scheduled to date for floor consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives. For more information about FARRM, visit www.AmericanPeanuts.com.

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For more information

Joy Carter
Director of Communications
joycarter@gapeanuts.com
phone: (229) 386-3690