(The Hill) -- TheHill.com reports that "the climate bill has joined the weather as a hot topic of discussion down on the farm." According to the story, "the legislation will raise energy costs," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack acknowledges. The Obama White House believes "benefits to individual farmers from the legislation would be substantial."
The Hill notes that "the National Farmers Union, (which) has traditionally leaned Democratic in its political support, is convinced" and is working to "build momentum for the climate bill." But most farmers "are concerned about rising costs and their ability to compete against farmers in countries that do not have a carbon cap, according to Rick Krause, a lobbyist at the American Farm Bureau Federation."
"Kevin Papp, a corn and soybean farmer in southern Minnesota, says the angst over climate legislation is real ... Papp said that 65% of a farm’s input costs are tied up in purchasing fuel, electricity and fertilizer. With the downturn shrinking margins for farmers, now is the wrong time to pass a bill that could further raise the costs of doing business, Papp said."
<http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/57773-climate-bill-joins-rootworm-rain-as-source-of-farm-angst>
