Missouri Farmers Wait For Final Version Of Federal Farm Bill

Missouri farmers are anxiously awaiting the final version of the Farm Bill to come out of Washington. Once the bill becomes law, it will set farm policy for the entire country for several years to come. Missouri’s Agriculture Director Lowell Mohler says there are severalgood provisions in both the Senate and House versions, such as items dealing with conservation and crop payment safety nets. But, he says there are some parts that probably won’t fly – especially the provisions dealing with meat packers owning livestock. An ammendment in the bill bans packers from owning certain types of livestock for two weeksbefore slaughter. Mohler says there should be tougher rules on packer ownership of livestock. But he believes it should be addressed by the people who enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act, not in this Farm Bill. Conferees on the bill hope to reach agreement on the House and Senateversions before the Easter break in late March.