Quote

Mr. President, it may surprise my colleagues, but I am no fan of federal disaster programs for agriculture. They are difficult to pass and often a disaster to implement.

I am committed to strengthening our agricultural economy by protecting the unique interests of small and medium size family farms so that they can continue to operate.

Crop insurance should be a policy that keeps people from going broke, to make sure they can farm next year, but not to make them rich.

Agrarian reform should not merely subdivide misery, it must raise living standards. Ownership raises the farmer from his, but productivity will keep him on his feet.

My government will make efforts to realize the farming potential of rain-fed and dry land areas by ensuring healthy participation by all stakeholders and convergence of various government sponsored programs.

Farm policy and food stamp policy should not be mixed. They should stand on their own merits.

To me, the most critical thing in agriculture is investing in the peasant agriculture, transforming peasant agriculture.

My real emphasis is on the farmers who are taking care of the land, the farmers who are really thinking about our nourishment.

Each country has to decide how to best engage their own citizens and their own policy environment to ensure they can produce the food they need.

Empowering small farmers to increase productivity, improve crop quality and access reliable markets is critical to addressing global hunger and poverty.