The deficit is not my problem...

So says our industry.

The chairman of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday called for a higher threshold for farm disaster relief than the 5 percent that has been proposed in the latest Senate package.

Senate Agriculture chairman Blanche Lincoln, a lead sponsor of a $1.5 billion aid package, has called for farmers to receive disaster relief if they lose more than 5 percent of their crop to natural disasters.

"That doesn't fly. That's asking for trouble," said House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson at a rice industry conference.

He spoke after Lincoln said "I've been working hard about disaster assistance." She said she was trying to steer the package to a floor vote. The House has not acted on the matter.

Persistent rains mired the fall harvest in the U.S. South, lowering cotton quality and water-logging soybeans. Drought baked Texas for much of 2009.

Peterson said stop-gap disaster bills in the past commonly required a one-third loss before compensation was paid. He said "I think there's going to have to be a higher loss" trigger this time and that lawmakers would work on the issue. [More]

When agriculture berates the Obama administration for "big government" schemes, they are really whining about their share of the loot.

Seriously - 5%!!


Where's Bob Stallman now?