But there is some measure of optimism and a future for agriculture. For that, I am quite positive. The world's population has already passed six billion and continues to grow every day. And every single one of those individuals must have food and fiber to sustain our growing population. We in the U.S. still spend the lowest percentage of our disposable income for food of any developed nation on the planet.
Domestic consumers have a safe and extremely affordable food supply.
While I am positive there is a future for agriculture, I am not positive as to where agriculture will be and who will produce the goods that will sustain us. The federal government develops and implements farm policy. This is the entity that has the responsibility and makes the major changes, such as the enactment of the Freedom to Farm Bill and other legislation impacting on the nation's agriculture. Congress has passed legislation for two consecutive years to provide additional revenues to farmers due to depressed commodity prices. The supplemental farm appropriations of 1999 will help farmers hold on a while longer, but it is not a cure.