Members focus on state and national policy; deregulation of Karnal bunt wheat big issue

December 13, 2001 -- After three days of meetings the Texas Farm Bureau's 68th annual convention in Waco concluded with the election of Donald Patman to his second full term as president. "This is a humbling time and a great responsibility that I will carry on to the best of my ability," said Patman. "I was very pleased with how this convention went and I look forward to another great year."

According to Patman he did not run on any specific platform. "I'm just an average guy that has lived and worked on a farm all his life," he stated. "My strongest desire is that future generations have it better than what we did. As time goes on it becomes increasingly harder for younger generations to be able to pursue this occupation (farming) as I did."

In a closed session, the TFB Board elected Kenneth Dierschke of San Angelo as vice president and Dale Jeske of Alamo as secretary-treasurer.

The focus of the convention was the voting on both state and national issues. The state issues will become TFB policy for 2002, and the national issues will be forwarded to the American Farm Bureau Federation meeting in Reno, Nev. in January 2002.

A number of resolutions dealing with Karnal bunt were voted on and delegates adopted policy stating the U.S. Department of Agriculture and wheat industry should work together towards redesignating Karnal bunt as a minor plant disease. According to TFB delegates the disease should be deregulated and dealt with as a quality issue.

Specific suggestions to USDA included:

- Sponsoring an international meeting of scientists to evaluate management strategies for smut and bunt diseases worldwide.

- Take the lead in reevaluating international policies on quarantines in preventing the movement of cereal smut and bunt fungi.

- Maintain a research effort at some level on smut and bunt diseases of cereals.

Wildlife provisions included supporting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's leasing of property to provide public hunting opportunities; classifying exotic game as personal property that is not subject to regulation; and researching problems with white-tail deer imported from other countries.

The delegates also agreed to support the state Legislature's efforts to reverse quail decline in Texas. Other action included urging the regulation of livestock imports to protect domestic livestock from foreign animal diseases; supporting the promotion of ratite value-added products; opposing government assisted insurance or revenue assurance programs for beef; supporting the rights of landowners to sell the development rights of their property and the freezing of all property taxes on homesteads at the age of 65.

In addition, delegates considered energy policy and supported legislation encouraging the use of fuel alcohol and exempting fuel alcohol from state taxes. Delegates recommended that the state Legislature pass laws requiring utility companies to follow existing rights-of-way or established fence lines, with all utility lines.

On the second day of the TFB convention attendees were addressed by both Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Sen. Hutchinson discussed the bioterrorism bill she is co-sponsoring with Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) which calls for greater security for facilities that store pathogens; a veterinary services cooperative commission between federal and state agencies; a consortium for countermeasures for bioterrorism; and monitoring of imports for food safety.

"We are trying to do everything we can to assess the potential for a bioterrorism attack and then do something about it," she stated. "The bioterrorism bill that I am co-sponsoring will certainly beef up the effort to know what is coming into this country."

During a press conference following her speech Sen. Hutchinson expressed her firm commitment to passing a farm bill. "It would be unthinkable for us not to make sure that we have the freedom to farm and have the ability for our farmers to make a living wage so that they will be able to continue being the food basket of the world," she stated.

Sen. Hutchinson is a co-sponsor of the Chochran-Roberts Farm Bill and is currently working to get the bill out of committee. "This is a solid bill that keeps freedom to farm," she stated. "It establishes a new farm savings plan that will put farmers on a stronger basis for weathering the good and the bad and it makes sure that our conservation programs are solid and sound."

Following Sen. Hutchinson's address Governor Rick Perry addressed the convention. In his address he vowed to continue putting pressure on Mexico's ambassador in Washington, President Vincente Fox, and the governor of Chihuahua to repay Mexico's debt of 1.3 million-acre-feet of water it owes the United States.

"I think we are going to have to force the government of Chihuahua to release this water," he stated. "You cannot just stonewall a treaty that clearly states what the quantities of water are and over what the period of time those waters are to be released. Mexico is clearly in non-compliance with that treaty."

Gov. Perry reiterated his commitment to agriculture. "The future of Texas is still very tied to agriculture," he stated. "I am always going to be supportive of agriculture in this state."