Farm Bureau Critical
Of Current Insurance

LUBBOCK —(AP)— Two years after farmers were forced to rely on crop insurance policies from private companies, many Texas Farm Bureau members say they paid high premiums only to find that when their plants were withering this summer, insurance companies always found loopholes to avoid paying.

The need to reform the current method of crop insurance has proven to be one of the most hotly discussed issues at the Farm Bureau's 65th Annual Convention here this week. More than 1200 county representatives from across the state have gathered to hold the policy-making meeting at the Lubbock Civic Center.

Dan Pustejusky, a voting delegate and cotton farmer from Hall County, said the Freedom to Farm Act of 1996, which provides for farm insurance in place of government assistance, has devastated farmers across the state.

"When people have gone to try to get help after the drouth dried up their land, many were turned away," Pustejusky said Monday. "A lot of people are concerned about the system not working right."

Farm Bureau delegates will vote this week on a report that calls for study of the current system and possibly seeking reform, "if the specific needs of Farm Bureau members are not being met."

Legislative director Steve Pringle says the drouth has highlighted the need for the group to ensure that farmers can remain in business by relying on crop insurance.

"We're looking for ways to guarantee a certain amount of income for farmers," Pringle said. "Part of that process is educating our people about programs out there that others say have worked for them. Basically, there is no longer a safety net for farmers ... they have to make their own."

The report, that calls for constant study of insurance methods, also states that the industry faces a shrinking workforce and declining profit margins if farmers don't take steps to reverse the trends and exert more political influence. The report was submitted Monday by the Project 2000 Committee.

"We may not like it, but the average age of farmers is going up and the workforce is getting smaller," said committee chairman Bob Tullos, a delegate from Tom Green County. "The general understanding of agriculture will also diminish as generations get further from the farm."

The committee suggests in the report that the organization be more aggressive in seeking to educate the public about agricultural issues and form a legal defense fund that will allow the Farm Bureau to defend farming interests in property rights battles.