Hearings, Reports and Prints of the House Committee on Agriculture

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 1301, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Graham Purcell, chairman of the subcommittee, presiding.

Present: Representatives Purcell, Jones of Missouri, Stubblefield, Foley, Nichols, Mrs. May, Dole, Zwach, Kleppe, and Price.

Also present: Christine S. Gallagher, clerk; and Hyde H. Murray, assistant counsel.

Mr. PURCELL. The subcommittee will please come to order.

We are here today to begin hearings on several bills which have been introduced by various members, all relating to a strategic reserve or different approaches to the carryover that would go a long way toward insuring our country of an adequate supply of wheat, feed grains, and soybeans. These bills are several ideas on how reserves should be established and maintained.

I feel everyone interested in food would realize the question of an adequate supply is as significant as anything that our country faces today. In fact I feel that the supply of food will in a shorter time than we realize become more important to the welfare of the world, and particularly our country, than appropriations for defense and money spent on space, nuclear development, and many other things, because we have become so assured of the fact that we have such an abundance of food, it is difficult for the average citizen to realize that we might be short of some of the most basic commodities.

I think we can all agree that the United States, more than any other country, has been blessed with a highly efficient agriculture and an abundant supply of food. We have never been faced with widespread food shortages. It is hard for most of us to imagine a combination of circumstances which would place us in a position to make strategic natural food and fiber reserves necessary. Yet, when we examine the issue closely, we must conclude that food shortages in this country are not an impossibility; that in fact we can get in the position of short food supplies here at home.

American agriculture over the years has become increasingly mechanized and complicated but technically competent. Modern farms are as dependent as factories on the ready availability of fuel, spare parts, transportation, electricity, and manufactured goods. These mechaniza

tions and the resultant dependency has made U.S. agriculture vulnerable more than it ever has been before, to whatever might cut off or adversely affect these supplies.

Without question, the effect of a nuclear attack on our agricultural production would be disastrous. Aside from that, any situation which would restrict the availability of fuel, fertilizer, pesticides, spare parts, and other such items necessary for farming operations, could result in greatly diminished food production. Even a conventional conflict could have serious effects on our productive capabilities. Already the current war in Vietnam is being felt in many ways, both by agriculture and other industries, but this is only one aspect of the need for a national reserve of strategic agricultural commodities.

One year of widespread crop failure such as occurred in the midthirties could put us in an extremely tight supply situation unless we cut back on our commitments abroad. More than 1 year of inclement. weather could cause worse problems. We are sure we have a sufficient crop acreage in reserve to supply our growing food needs of the future, but even if this is the case, reserve acreage will be of little immediate value in the event of a general crop failure due to unfavorable weather conditions.

For this and many other reasons, I think it very important that the Congress and this committee take advantage of the opportunity we now have to do all possible to insure the American consumer that there is an adequate supply of the basic food commodities, and I hope as a result of these hearings we can begin to hammer out the kind of legislation that will make it possible for the American consumer to have every assurance possible that adequate food supplies do exist.

I will conclude by saying that, in my judgment, the American farmer is truly the unsung hero of America and of the world, because the farmer feeds himself and some 30-odd other people today, and he does it at a return that is very inadequate and very low compared with the investment and the necessary labor and managerial capacity each farmer must maintain.

At this time we will begin our hearings, and I am glad to say some of our colleagues have introduced other bills. The interest is evident, I think, by the number of people who have introduced legislation along the general lines of the bill I introduced the other day, H.R. 12067.

(H.R. 9644 by Mrs. Mav, H.R. 11285 by Mr. Smith of Iowa, H.R. 11436 by Mr. Matsunaga, H.R. 12067 by Mr. Purcell, and H.R. 12108, follow. H.R. 12166 by Mr. Steed is similar to II.R. 12067.)

[H.R. 9644, 90th Cong., first sess.]

A BILL To authorize and direct the Commodity Credit Corporation to establish and maintain reserve supplies of agricultural commodities for national security, consumer protection, and for other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Strategic Agricultural Commodities Reserve Act of 1967".

SEC. 2. (a) Congress hereby finds and determines that the establishment and maintenance of strategic agricultural commodity reserves (referred to in this Act as "reserve inventories") will further our national interests at home and abroad, and will provide stability for our domestic economy.

(b) It is the policy and the intent of Congress to assure adequate supplies of agricultural commodities for national security, domestic and foreign emergency needs, consumer protection, and for other purposes.

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