FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 20, 2007

Contact:  Sandy Courtnage

House Agriculture Committee Passes a Farm Bill

GREAT FALLS, MT (July 20, 2007) – The Montana Farmers Union released the following statement on the U.S. House Farm Bill (H.R. 2419). 

“The Montana Farmers Union congratulates the U.S. House Agriculture Committee and Chairman Peterson for the hard work and bipartisan effort to produce a new Farm Bill. Initial review of the bill, which received unanimous support from the committee, shows a number of goals that MFU supported and our national organization has worked hard to achieve.

“First, the safety net for farmers when prices decline has been protected. 

“Second, there finally is a process to guarantee that mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) is implemented.  According to the committee release it includes three categories of labeling, one that indicates product was born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S.; one that indicates that product was not exclusively born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S.; and one that includes products entirely from other countries.  For ground meat, products can be labeled with a list of countries where product may have originated. 

“This labeling agreement is a victory for the producers we represent and for the 92 percent of consumers who say they want such information,” said MFU President Alan Merrill.

“The committee also approved the interstate shipment of meat inspected at the state level, something that has broad support in Montana. And loan rates have been restructured, including those for wheat, oilseeds and sugar to be better balanced regionally.

“Finally, there is increased assistance for fruits and vegetables, conservation, food and nutrition programs as well as investments in rural economic development.  And finally, the bill authorizes a permanent disaster assistance program.

“The floor debate is scheduled to begin on July 26, and I look forward to being in Washington, DC and being a part of that conversation,” said MFU President Alan Merrill.

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