Energy and American Agriculture

ENERGY AND AMERICAN AGRICULTURE -- (House of Representatives - July 10, 2008)

(Mr. LATTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I have the honor of representing the number one agricultural district in Ohio. During the recess, I visited three family farms to find out what issues are on farmers' minds. After speaking with these farmers, they unanimously agreed that the rising cost of energy is
the number one issue facing American agriculture.

Diesel and fertilizer are just two of the petroleum-based products a farmer uses each day. And as the costs of these products rise, their livelihoods continue to be jeopardized.

One beef farmer told me as of right now, he is preparing to lose money on his cattle when they go to slaughter later this year because of the rising cost of oil. He added that he wasn't even sure he would even have a herd next year. All of the farmers agreed that two ways to lower energy prices and reduce our dependence on Middle East oil would be to drill in ANWR and also off the Outer Continental Shelf.

Unless something is done soon, more and more farmers will be forced to make the hard choice of whether or not to continue their livelihood of feeding Americans and the rest of the world.

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