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Daschle proposes more help for small farmers
by Cara Hetland, Minnesota Public Radio
August 16, 2004

U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., is proposing a new federal agency to deal specifically with issues facing small farmers and ranchers. He announced his proposal Monday in Sioux Falls. (MPR Photo/Cara Hetland)

South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle says he wants to help save small farmers and ranchers. The Senate Minority Leader announced an initiative to create a Small Farm Administration, which would be modeled after the Small Business Administration.

Sioux Falls, S.D. — Daschle says the Small Farm Administration would include a high-level administrator who would report directly to the Secretary of Agriculture. Daschle says over the last 20 years, more than 300,000 family farmers have gone out of business. He says creating an agency to help small farmers could reverse the trend.

Daschle says the Small Farm Administration would provide low interest loans and offer markets with competitive prices.

"So that we have the kind of advocate, we have the kind of priority, we have the kind of committment to small farms and ranches that we really need -- to change the trend that we've seen now for the last 20 years," Daschle said. "I don't want somebody to stand in my place 20 years from now and ask, 'Where have all the farms and ranches gone?'"

Daschle said the mission of the SFA would be to "reverse the trend toward consolidation in agriculture." He said it would focus on three areas:

- Establishing a competitive advantage for small farms, realized through a framework of supportive -- yet responsible -- government and private initiatives.

- Targeting appropriate research, extension, grant, loan and marketing opportunities to small farmers and ranchers.

- Providing legal analysis and enforcement procedures to combat anti-competitive practices.

Daschle says he's still working out the details of the legislation and plans to introduce it early next year.

Daschle is in a tight re-election race against former Republican Congressman John Thune. The two face off in their first debate Wednesday in front of an audience of South Dakota farmers and ranchers.

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