Bipartisan Farm Bill Agreement Will Lead to Strong Farm Bill, Says Harkin

Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and the Senate-House conference committee on the farm bill, today said that the core farm bill utilizing the $10 billion above baseline has been worked out among key farm bill negotiators.

Specific details and funding will still have to be worked out and are all subject to ratification by the full conference committee.

Chairman Harkin intends to convene the conference committee on Monday.

"Today the principal farm bill negotiators came together on a bipartisan level to reach a tentative agreement on the agriculture policy that will make the final farm bill a strong one.

"The tentative agreement reached today maintains strong farm income security and a permanent disaster program. It will solidify the future of the Conservation Security Program, now the Conservation Stewardship Program, returning it to the program it was intended to be when first enacted in the 2002 farm bill. It invests heavily in renewable energy and will help bring the promise of cellulosic biofuels to reality by providing grants and loans to move from corn ethanol to other renewable feedstocks.

And our agreement will lead to more fresh fruits and vegetables in our nation's elementary schools and stronger assistance to low-income Americans through federal nutrition programs.

"All in all, this is a balanced agreement that will now be considered by the full conference committee Monday."