Durbin Meets with Illinois Corn Growers to Discuss Agricultural Priorities

Press Release

Durbin Meets with Illinois Corn Growers to Discuss Agricultural Priorities

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today hosted a meeting with representatives from the Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA) to discuss the Farm Bill and the Energy Bill.

"Illinois farm land is among the most productive in the world. I am looking forward to passing a Farm Bill that will maximize its potential and ensure we have the infrastructure to bring our agricultural products to market," said Durbin.

Durbin also discussed the importance of the Farm Bill and the inclusion of language that creates a revenue-based safety net as House and Senate negotiators continue to work out the differences in a joint Conference Committee. The Senate Agriculture Committee passed a version of the Farm Bill containing language that creates an optional revenue counter-cyclical program designed to improve the safety net for farmers by replacing current price-support programs with a comprehensive revenue protection program. The program, called Average Crop Revenue (ACR), is based in large part on legislation introduced by Senators Durbin and Brown in late July called the Farm Safety Net Improvement Act.

The ACR was originally included in the Chairman's Mark of the Farm Bill. The program would have provided farmers with a state-based revenue-counter-cyclical program to protect against losses in both yield and price. In lieu of direct payments, farmers opting into the program would be provided with a fixed payment of $15 per acre. The program also would have been integrated with farmers' crop insurance policies to reduce duplicative payments and provide producers with relief on the cost of crop insurance. During the Senate Agriculture Committee action, an amendment was accepted that weakened the original language by removing a provision that allowed farmers to reduce their crop insurance premiums.

Finally, Durbin and the representatives from the ICGA discussed the Energy bill and its impact on Illinois. The legislation includes sets a Renewable Fuel Standard at 15 billion gallons of biofuel use per year by 2015. Not only will the provision enhance farmer profitability and expand the share of home-grown energy, it will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the environment. It will also drive the market toward the next generation of biofuels -- cellulosic ethanol that can be produced from any feedstock.

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