_______________________, read first time and referred to Committee on
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging the Congress of the United
States to investigate and take action regarding unfair price differentials
in the cost of agricultural inputs with respect to the American farmers'
foreign competition.
Whereas, Soybeans are a staple food crop, which is
essential to the United States and the global food supply;
Whereas, The United States market for soybeans is
estimated to have been $17.7 billion in 1998;
Whereas, The United States Department of Agriculture
reported that Indiana farmers exported $543.4 million in
soybeans and soybean products during fiscal year 2000,
ranking fourth among the states;
Whereas, The United States General Accounting Office
released a report in January 2000 detailing disparities in
cost of inputs to produce soybeans between American
farmers and some of their South American competitors;
Whereas, The General Accounting Office's report revealed
that these cost disparities are due in part to discriminatory
pricing practices of suppliers who provide seed and other
agricultural inputs to South American farmers at costs
significantly below those charged to American farmers;
Whereas, The General Accounting Office's report suggested that United States patent law and other intellectual property laws may provide incentives to suppliers of agricultural inputs to discriminate against the American
farmer in pricing these inputs;
Whereas, United States patent law and other intellectual
property law have led some suppliers of agricultural inputs
to impose on American farmers contract provisions
prohibiting American farmers from using once traditional
cost saving farming practices such as saving seed, a practice
that the suppliers of agricultural inputs are unable or
unwilling to enforce against the foreign competitors of
American farmers;
Whereas, The pricing practices of suppliers of agricultural
inputs could be extended to agricultural products other than
soybeans;
Whereas, This disparate increase of the costs of
agricultural inputs places the American farmer at a severe
disadvantage in competition with foreign farmers; and
Whereas, American farm policy has impaired the
profitability of the American farmer and resulted in
decreased competitiveness with foreign agriculture;
Therefore,
SECTION 1. That the Congress of the United States should
investigate unfair price differentials in the cost of agricultural inputs
with respect to the American farmers' foreign competition.
SECTION 2. That Congress should take appropriate action to ensure
fair foreign competition with American agricultural products,
including, if necessary, modifying the patent laws and other intellectual
property laws of the United States.
SECTION 3. That the government of the United States should
develop and implement a farm policy that provides a safety net for all
crop and livestock farmers and ranchers, large and small.
SECTION 4. That the Secretary of the Senate is directed to send
copies of this Resolution to the following:
(1) The chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee
on Agriculture of the United States House of Representatives.
(2) The chairman and ranking member of the Agriculture,
Nutrition, And Forestry Committee of the United States Senate.
(3) All members of the Indiana congressional delegation.
(4) The secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture.