New farm law hinges on antihunger programs

By Charles Abbott

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chances to enact a new U.S. farm law before an informal April 18 deadline hinge on providing "very solid" funding for anti-hunger programs, the Senate Agriculture Committee chairman said on Thursday.

Chairman Tom Harkin told reporters he hoped for agreement within two days on how to pay for a $10 billion spending increase for the farm bill. With that in hand, House and Senate negotiators could then write a final version of the law, which is six months overdue.

"Nutrition remains a big sticking point with the House," Harkin said, referring to public nutrition programs such as food stamps. "They are going to want that number very solid. I don't know if they're going to accept $9.5 billion or not."

Agriculture Committee leaders agreed tentatively on a $9.5 billion increase for nutrition over 10 years. Chairman Charles Rangel of the House Ways and Means Committee, who is working on farm bill funding, says nutrition deserves ample funding because food prices are rising faster than the inflation rate.

"If they get more money for us, we'll put it in nutrition," said Harkin, an Iowa Democrat.

Farm bills are panoramic legislation that cover nutrition, land stewardship, crop subsidies and biofuels among dozens of programs. Nutrition would get two-thirds of money in the new bill, which would spend $600 billion over 10 years.

A short-term extension of some programs expires on April 18, creating an informal deadline for a new law.

Harkin said farm leaders tried to balance spending among programs. Senators from the northern Plains, for example, demand a disaster-relief fund. House members like Rangel, a New York Democrat, put higher value on nutrition assistance.