[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 68 (Tuesday, June 6, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E887-E888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2559, AGRICULTURAL RISK PROTECTION ACT OF 
                                  2000

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. EVA M. CLAYTON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 25, 2000

  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the 
Agriculture Risk Protection Act (H.R. 2559) conference report. I 
commend Chairman Combest and Ranking Member Stenholm for their efforts 
to craft comprehensive legislation which will help restore the safety 
net for agriculture producers.
  Risk management tools such as crop or revenue insurance provide 
protection from yield or price declines within a growing and marketing 
season. Indeed statistics for North Carolina show that over the last 
ten years the number of acres insured has increased from 581,764 in 
1988 to 2,844,524 in 1999. Participation is very high, with 82 percent 
of acres covered for tobacco, 83% of acres covered for peanuts, and 89% 
covered for cotton.
  In 1999, $131 million in liability was paid to North Carolina 
producers who suffered crop damages, first from drought and then from 
three hurricanes and subsequent historic flooding in eastern North 
Carolina. Even with these payments North Carolina producers will 
benefit greatly from their portion of the additional emergency 
assistance monies, which nationwide total $7.1 million over two fiscal 
years (2000 & 2001), provided by this legislation. This includes $340 
million for tobacco farmers to compensate for economic losses along 
with $47 million in economic assistance for peanut producers, which 
equates to $30.50 per ton for quota peanuts and $16 for additional 
peanuts. I am especially thankful that we have included provisions 
which address conditions created when producers suffer multiple years 
disasters.
  Additional emergence assistance provisions include:
  $40 million for USDA to provide soil, water and natural conservation 
assistance for farmers in the form of cost share or incentive payments;
  $10 million for USDA's Farmland Protection Program
  $34 million FY 2000 and $76 million in FY 2001 for USDA to purchase 
additional food commodities for distribution to schools participating 
in the school lunch program
  $32 million in FY 2001 available for a variety of agricultural 
research programs including those related to soil, science, forest 
health and management, tobacco research for medicinal purposes and 
reducing and managing waste in livestock and poultry operations.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues to support and vote for the 
conference report.

[[Page E888]]



                          ____________________