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Alan on the Issues - Agriculture

Agriculture is the backbone of the Kansas economy. As Congressman, I intend to be a member of the Agriculture Committee and advocate for the interests of Kansas producers and work towards maintaining and improving grain, livestock and dairy prices, expanding foreign markets for our farmers, and promoting agriculture research and the bio-fuels industry. Expanding our markets in Cuba, South America, South Korea and other countries will allow our farmers to do what they do best; feed the world.

Perhaps, the most important issue facing Kansas agriculture in the coming decade will be the availability of water. While state agencies govern water policy, the Agriculture Committee can ensure that farmers are not overregulated by federal agencies that may restrict access to water and irrigation vital to the economic development of Western Kansas.

The next Congress will be tasked with formulating a new farm bill, which should emphasize agriculture, rather than non-farm programs. Crop insurance is a key component of the bill that needs to be protected and streamlined. Counter-cyclical payments also have a role given the frequent fluctuations of the market due to factors beyond the producer’s control.

Efforts by anti-farmer special interest groups in Washington DC to end direct payments to farmers must be challenged. These programs provide a necessary safety net to our farmers. There is no guarantee that the drought that decimated the Russian crop this year could not happen here in Kansas. Since agriculture policy is often formulated by individuals with little or no direct knowledge of the industry we must ensure that the industry is not overregulated and that our agriculture industry thrives.