Grassley said the new law discriminates against livestock producers by restricting yield updates to those who can produce sales receipts. Grassley cosigned a letter to Secretary Ann Veneman that said, "this is totally unfair for livestock producers who feed most of their grain." The letter also says "it is doubly unfair for cattle producers who may chop some of their grain as silage or store it as high moisture grain."
Jim Pellett, president of the Iowa Cattlemen's Association, signed the letter to Veneman with Grassley. A copy of the letter follows here.
August 16, 2002
The Honorable Ann M. Veneman
Secretary of Agriculture, USDA
1400 Independence Ave, S.W. Stop 0101
Washington, D.C. 20250
Dear Secretary Veneman:
The members of the Iowa Cattlemen's Association and I have serious concerns about inequities in the 2002 Farm Bill which discriminates against feedgrain farmers who feed livestock by restricting yield updates to only those who can produce scale tickets and sales receipts. We believe this is totally unfair for livestock producers who feed most of their grain from farm storage. It is doubly unfair for cattle producers who may chop some of their grain as silage or store it as high moisture grain. We would like to see these issues remedied before the Farm Bill goes totally into effect.
In the past, livestock producers earned the right to receive an LDP on acres cut for silage and harvested as wet corn to be fed. However, under the new farm bill producers are now learning that those records are not adequate proof of yield to fit with the new farm program. We believe these records should be used. Otherwise cattle producers are severely penalized by the program.
In addition, producers who feed their grain do not routinely haul it to town to receive scale tickets on every load. Obviously if the corn is fed, there are no sales receipts. Therefore we must find a way to credit livestock producers with yields so that they can participate fully in the program. We believe allowing only 75% of the county's yield is unjustifiable, since many producers would exceed the county yield, and it is only for the fact that they choose to add value to their crop through livestock that they don't have the required records. At a minimum, they should receive 100% of the county yield on fed crops.
Iowa's economy needs the value added enterprises that those producers operate. Please help our livestock producers overcome the discrimination written into the farm bill. Please make adjustments so that livestock producers can fully participate in the program as well as their crop producing neighbors.
Sincerely,
Chuck Grassley
United States Senator
Jim Pellett
President
Iowa Cattlemen's Association