Farmbill is Divided Up

After more than a year of negiotiating the Farmbill is now law Reporter Sarah Gustin briefs us on how the almost 300 billion dollars is being divided up We hear the word farmbill and many of us begin to think of tractors and fields but there is so much more Sen Kent Conrad D - ND This is far more than a farmbill it is a food billl it is an energy bill it is conservation legislation it is all of things wrapped into one Senator Conrad says this bill is the most reformed bill since the 1949 Act Representative Earl Pomeroy says this bill is one for the urban consumer and the rural producer Rep Earl Pomeroy D -ND At a time of rising grocery costs we increase support for those having trouble buying food for their families The most dramatic increase in nutrition support 10 3 billion dollars additional spending in this farmbill All of it directed towards enhancing nutrition programs For producers the most significant piece might be the new standing disaster assistance program Conrad says in the last three years every state in the nation has received disaster payments All of them not budgeted for and not paid for Now 3 8 billion is set aside so farmers don t have to ask for assistance after the fact Roger Johnson ND Ag Commissioner What is good about the way this bill is designed is that the money in the bill is uncapped We don t have to wait to calculate all the disasters that are occuring and then figure out how much money is avaliable It is drafted in such a fashion if you are eligible for the payment you receive the payment If you are wondering where all this money is coming from don t worry it is all budgeted and paid for Sen Kent Conrad D ND It is also tax payer friendly Because this bill is paid for and paid for without a tax increase The bill also includes 4 billion in new resources to improve conservation programs And one and half billion to move our nation towards cellulosic ethanol to help reduce our dependence on foreign energy In Bismarck Reporting for KX news I am Sarah Gustin Almost 8 billion dollars will improve the the Food Stamp Program which helps feed over 40-thousand North Dakotans every month