MAJOR U.S. FARM GROUPS OPPOSE POLICY CHANGES

  Seven major U.S. farm groups took
  the unusual step of releasing a joint statement urging
  congressional leaders not to tinker with existing farm law.
      Following meetings with House Agriculture Committee
  Chairman Kika de la Garza (D-Tex.) and Senate Agriculture
  Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the groups issued a
  statement saying lawmakers should "resist efforts to overhaul
  the 15-month-old law, which is operating in its first crop
  marketing year."
      The farm groups included the American Farm Bureau
  Federation, American Soybean Association, National Cattlemen's
  Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton
  Council, National Pork Producers Council and the U.S. Rice
  Producers Legislative Group.
      The statement said Congress should not modify the 1985 farm
  bill "so the law might have its intended impact of making
  agriculture more competitive in export markets while at the
  same time maintaining farm income."
      "We strongly believe American farmers now need
  predictability and certainty in farm legislation in order to
  have any opportunity of making proper production and marketing
  decisions," the groups said.
  

