Excerpt:

Bill Richardson is taking a tough stand on CAFO’s.

From my inbox…

Richardson Decries Failure of Senate Ag Committee to Limit CAFOs

Praises Harkin Effort to Reform EQIP Payments for Family Farmers

DES MOINES , IA — Presidential candidate New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today criticized action taken by the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee to defeat a needed reform of federal payments that would have promised more equity for smaller, independent hog producers in Iowa . In a mark-up of the 2007 Farm Bill, senators voted down an amendment offered by Senator Tom Harkin that would have lowered the cap on total cost share payments for CAFOs (confined-animal feedlot operations), from $450,000 to $240,000 per contract. The action denies thousands of family farmers important assistance for environmentally-sound operations.

“The Senate today missed an important opportunity to help family farmers in rural America , and especially in Iowa ,” said Governor Bill Richardson. “We should not be funding CAFOs more than $240,000 per contract, because there is not enough money in this program to get equity for family farmers at a higher rate. As President, I will fight to get help for the thousands of small and independent producers and farmers whose applications have been denied under current failed policies. Government needs to be on the side of the family farmer.”

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