Texas Ag Policy Summit Will Explore
Farm Policy Options, Alternatives, and Consequences

Writers:Tim W. McAlavy, (806) 746-6101, and Blair Fannin, (979) 845-2259
Contact:Dr. Abner Womack (979) 845-5913, awomack tamu.edu
Dr.  Jim Butler, (979) 847-9066, i-butlerktamu.edu

LUBBOCK -- Texas farmers and ranchers can get short- and long-term projections on how their operations will fare during the next few years at the Aug. 13-14 Texas Agricultural Policy Summit slated here at the Holiday Inn Park Plaza.

The summit will attract producers, lenders, agribusiness representatives, environmental/natural resource stakeholders, and rural community leaders.  Registration costs $70 per person.  A block of rooms has been reserved and will be held until
July 13.

"The goal of the summit is to focus on policy changes under consideration by state and national agriculture leaders, and to better understand the likely consequences for Texas agriculture and the rural community," said Dr. Abner Womack, summit committee co-chair and director of the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University.

The summit will begin Aug. 13 at 7:30 p.m. with a discussion of issues underlying the farm bill debate, led by Dr. Ronald D. Knutson, Texas Agricultural Extension Service economist.  He will be joined by Dr. Luther G. Tweeten, a professor in the department of agricultural, environmental and development economics at Ohio State University.

On Aug 14, Womack and Dr. Ed Smith, Extension economist, will discuss the outlook and alternatives for the current farm program.  "We plan to provide a baseline economic analysis for several crops, and for livestock," Womack said.  "We also will took at projected returns, commodity by commodity.”

"Our analyses indicate a fairly negative scenario for most commodities under current farm policy. Even so, we could see mild abatement of economic pressures such as currency exchange rates and fuel prices by 2003 or 2004.  We also will discuss farm policy options under consideration on Capitol Hill.”

These options include counter-cyclical supplemental farm payments, higher commodity loan rates and market loss assistance payments that have come into play during the past three years.

Womack and Smith will be followed by Mike Dwyer, chief economist with USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service.  He will discuss "Agricultural Trade Implications - Who Wins and Loses In A Global Market?"

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman has been invited to speak at noon on Aug. 14. As the keynote lunch speaker, Veneman has been invited to discuss the role of the United States Department of Agriculture in understanding and defining priority issues.

A panel of federal officials, including U.S. Representatives Larry Combest and Charles Stenholm, both of Texas, have been invited to host an afternoon discussion focusing on national policy issues and expected farm bill modifications. Combest chairs the House Agriculture Committee.

A panel of state officials such as Representatives David Swinford and Gary Walker, and Senator Robert Duncan, have been invited to discuss Texas' ag policy. Swinford chairs the House Committee on Agriculture and Livestock, and Walker sits on the House Committee on Land and Resource Management.  Duncan is vice chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources.

These officials will exchange information and ideas on farm policy options with.summit participants during the
afternoon panel discussions.

Texans can get more information about the summit by calling (979) 862-1771.
Email queries should go to agsummit@tamu.edu.
A summit registration form is available on the Internet at http://agsummit.tamu.edu .