I want to make it clear to this Committee and to the Congress as a whole, that by and large you have done your part, and we are moving expeditiously to put the new tools to use. We acted within weeks of the bill becoming law. New premium subsidies, new rules covering yield coverage and changes in Administrative fees are in place, in time for Fall planting. The important point that we must all remember is that finding the right mix of profitability and protection for farmers benefits all Americans. We must remember that financially healthy farm families promote healthy rural communities and ensure a dependable supply of food, the fundamental building block of a healthy people.
Food production is essential to our progress and to our nation's continued strength and security.
Without food, there can be no democracy-building, no civil society, no rule of law, no effective education or job training, no business development. One of the greatest technological achievements of the 20 th Century is the spectacular increase in farm productivity. By reducing the number of people needed to produce the nation's food, it freed the rest of us to build the greatest economic engine the world has ever seen. By investing in our farmers, by protecting them from undue risk, by helping them do what they do best, we are helping our whole society. And, Crop Insurance is one of the tools of a farm safety net that can best help farmers deal with the changing nature of agriculture in the 21 st Century.