Durbin Recieves Golden Triangle Award From National Farmers Union

Press Release

Durbin Recieves Golden Triangle Award From National Farmers Union

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), who serves on the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, today received the Golden Triangle Award from the National Farmers Union (NFU) for his attention to issues affecting rural Illinois. The award was presented at a meeting held today in Durbin's U.S. Capitol office.

"I am honored to receive the Golden Triangle Award and will continue to work with the Farmers Union to address rural issues in Illinois and in Congress," said Durbin.

In today's meeting, Durbin discussed the importance of the Farm Bill, which became law when Congress successfully overrode the President's veto of the bill. Of particular importance, was a provision in the new Farm Bill law that creates an optional revenue counter-cyclical program designed to improve the safety net for farmers like those in Illinois by replacing current price-support programs with a comprehensive revenue protection program.

"Earlier this year, Congress passed a Farm Bill that encourages Illinois agriculture and makes significant investments in nutrition, conservation, and renewable energy programs," said Durbin. "Illinois farm land is among the most productive in the world and our state stands to benefit greatly from a swift implementation of this new law."

The program, called Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE), is based in large part on legislation introduced by Durbin and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in late July 2007 called the Farm Safety Net Improvement Act. It will provide farmers with a state-based revenue-counter-cyclical program to protect against losses in both yield and price. In lieu of direct payments, farmers opting into the program would be provided with a fixed payment of $15 per acre.

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