NATIONAL SORGHUM PRODUCERS
Ensuring Sorghum's Profitability
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2007
For more information, contact:
Christi Scherler
NSP Communications Director
Office: (806) 749-3478
Mobile: (806) 535-0595
Sorghum Producers Applaud Passage of House Farm Bill
The National Sorghum Producers (NSP) applauds today's work of the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007.
"We appreciate the effort of the House Agriculture Committee in passing a bill under such tight budget constraints," said NSP President Dale Murden of Monte Alto, Texas. "We believe that the House has developed sound agricultural policy that helps level the playing field for sorghum."
The bill maintains direct payments, sorghum's top priority for the bill. Just as important, it improves sorghum's safety net by equalizing sorghum county loan rates with corn. Sorghum producers should see an improved safety net when the cyclical nature of the agriculture economy returns. Earlier this week, NSP joined 23 other agricultural organizations in urging Members of Congress to pass the bill.
"Sorghum producers will be encouraging the Senate to write a farm bill this fall," said Murden. "The level of revenue assurance needs to reflect actual sorghum revenue in the counter-cyclical program that the House created."
The House bill will expand cellulose ethanol research and help scientists as they tap into the true potential of forage and sweet sorghums to contribute in new generation ethanol production.
NSP represents U.S. sorghum producers. Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, in the heart of the U.S. Sorghum Belt that stretches from the Rockies to the Mississippi River and from South Texas to South Dakota, the organization works to ensure the profitability of sorghum production through market development, research, education and legislative representation. To learn more about NSP, visit www.sorghumgrowers.com.
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