[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 23930-23931]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  THE CONCERN OF FARMERS AND RANCHERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, tonight I rise to voice the 
concerns of farmers and ranchers who struggle to feed the world as well 
as their own families. Kansans will tell you it is difficult to make a 
living on the farm. Federal farm policies do not take into account the 
current scenario of input prices rising to record levels. Natural 
disasters, whether it is hurricanes in the South, in the gulf, or 
droughts in the Midwest, still fall far beyond what a farm bill or crop 
insurance policy can adequately address.
  As we have seen with hurricanes Katrina and Rita, not only do such 
disasters introduce terrible human suffering and paralyze the region in 
which they hit, but they also affect with transportation bottlenecks 
and skyrocketing energy prices many others a long way away.
  Any suggestion that things are good in ag country does not meet the 
reality

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test. Having completed 69 town hall meetings, one in each of the 
counties that I represent, I know farmers are greatly affected by the 
high cost of fuel, fertilizer, and natural gas.
  American agriculture depends on natural gas to bring food to our 
tables. We use natural gas for irrigation, for drying our crops, 
processing our food, and, most importantly, in producing our 
fertilizer.
  In addition to price of natural gas and fertilizer, the cost of 
diesel is a major concern for producers. In Kansas, it is estimated 
that the average farmer's fuel bill will increase $17,000 this year. 
Since January, diesel fuel has increased from $1.95 a gallon to $3.15 a 
gallon this month. Kansas farmers say when you do the math, it just 
does not pencil out.
  It is easy for a Congressman to talk about these issues, but the mail 
from my Kansas farmers can better tell of the real struggles and convey 
the real story of life on the farm.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a letter from a farmer at Otis, Kansas. He gives 
me his name and tells me he is a middle-age farmer with an operation 
located in western Barton and eastern Rush counties. He tells me: ``The 
recent fuel and fertilizer price increases are pushing my bottom line 
into the red. Three years ago I could buy a transport load of diesel 
fuel for $7,800 and today the same amount costs me $27,740, a 
difference of 330 percent.''
  He says: ``It seems as though other industries can pass fuel expenses 
by putting on fuel surcharges. However, we are not able to do that. The 
American public is taking the farmer for granted with the cheap quality 
food that we provide. Wait until we are dependent upon foreign food 
like we are oil. I just hope and pray that the farmer can survive. 
Thanks for any help.''
  And this from Lynette Stenzel, a farmer in Ness City, Kansas. She 
tells me she is ``extremely concerned with rising fuel prices. It not 
only affects the economic concerns on the farmer, but our local 
government, schools, churches, hospitals and even our community service 
organizations. More money into the expense side of farming leaves less 
on the income side to support schools, churches and help raise funds 
for community projects. When living in a rural area, the economic 
situation of the farmer really does affect local bills as well.''
  She tells me that her younger brother, who now operates a third-
generation family farm, said he felt if and when he had to pay the same 
amount for fuel as he got for a bushel of wheat, it would be time to 
give up the farm. ``I am hoping he forgot that comment, as that time is 
here. His 12-year-old son wants to continues the family farm, so 
hopefully that will be possible.''
  Finally, from a farm couple in Southwest Kansas: ``The real America 
is not in the political realm of Washington. Real Americans cannot 
afford to drive to work. They won't be able to heat their homes in the 
winter. Real American farmers continue to lose money feeding the world. 
We need real help for the real America.''
  Mr. Speaker, we need to work together as Members of Congress, as 
policymakers in these very challenging times. We must pursue economic, 
agriculture, and energy policies that increase the chances that our 
farmers can continue to farm the land and feed the world.
  Mr. Speaker, as my farmers said, we need real help for the real 
America.

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