Lucas cool to corn, soy proposal for farm bill

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) reacted cooly on Wednesday to a new key compromise proposal made by the corn, soy and canola lobbies on the farm bill.

The groups on Tuesday proposed resolving a battle over whether to use historical planting data or current planting data when calculating farm subsidies, by using a five-year rolling average of recent planting acres. 

“I don’t know whether that is viable. You have to understand every commodity group has the very best economist to find the advantage for their commodity,” he told reporters.

Lucas and other top farm bill conference committees are set to have another negotiating session on Wednesday night as they try to finish the $1 trillion farm bill the year.

Lucas said every aspect of the farm bill is being negotiated now including the controversial food stamp provision.  Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) predicted that a farm bill conference reported will be voted on in the House before the target recess date of Dec. 13.