<b>By JANE HOUIN<br>
Ohio Correspondent</b> </p><p>

NEW ORLEANS, La. — Swift enactment of a new, comprehensive federal farm bill that maintains an adequate safety net for farmers and ranchers is the top legislative priority for delegates at the 89th American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) annual meeting.<br>
AFBF delegates unanimously voted to campaign for new farm policy. Delegates expressed opposition to a one- or two-year extension of the current law because it fails to provide meaningful, long-term economic certainty.<br>
“Farm Bureau members unanimously agreed that a one- or two-year extension of the farm bill only makes it more difficult to write a bill in the future,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman.<br>
“The delegate body also strongly expressed support for President Bush to sign the farm bill into law once the House-Senate conference is completed.”<br>
Delegates also reaffirmed support for comprehensive immigration reform that will improve farmers’ timely access to legal farm workers.<br>
“Immigration reform remains a top legislative priority for Farm Bureau,” Stallman said.<br>
Regarding international trade, delegates reaffirmed existing policy on the importance of opening new markets and expanding existing markets for U.S. farm products. They also voted to strengthen the organization’s position that the Clean Water Act does not override the rights of states in regulating water.<br>
“Once again, farmers and ranchers from all across the country, who raise a range of crops and livestock, have come together to decide what is best for U.S. agriculture overall,” said Stallman. “We will work vigorously with members of Congress and federal agencies to advance these policies on behalf of our farmer members.”<br>
Farm Bureau also applauded last week’s release by the Food and Drug Administration of the final risk assessment that meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring are safe to eat.
FDA has determined that no special labeling or other measures are needed, because food derived from these animals is no different from food from conventionally bred animals. <br>
“We support that determination, which is based on FDA’s extensive analysis of the technology and hundreds of independent studies,” the AFBF said in a news release last week.<br>
“The technology will be used mainly for breeding purposes, and we expect very little food from cloned cattle, swine and goats to enter the marketplace.”<br>
Cloning technology will give farmers and ranchers an additional production option, they said.<br>
It has gone through the appropriate regulatory review process and has been found to be safe; therefore, farmers should have the option of using it. The technology will improve breeding stock and, eventually, the quality, safety and healthfulness of our food. <br>Animal cloning offers great benefits for consumers and farmers.
The annual meeting involved deliberations by 368 voting delegates representing every state and commodity. The policy approved at the annual meeting will guide AFBF’s legislative and regulatory efforts throughout 2008.