Harold G. Halcrow

Great Plains Agriculture and Brannan's Farm Program

HE agricultural program presented to Congress by Secretary Brannan in April and May departs in several respects from the programs which have been followed since the early days of the New Deal. A revised concept of parity which places the base for computation on income rather than on price, a change in method of stabilizing farm income, a device for preferential treatment of the family farm, and a greater emphasis on farmer responsibility and initiative for instituting production or market controls are main features of the original presentation. Brannans program is based on the idea of maintaining farm income through (1) production payments on non-storables, and (2) high support prices for storables. The non-storables account for about 75 percent of the gross income of agriculture. Prices for these would be allowed to seek the market level and prices for storables would be maintained according to the new support formula. The reaction of farm leaders to the program has varied from coolness to outright opposition, the chief exception being the Farmers Union. Most of the producer groups which have testified have indicated their preference for price support rather than production payments whenever the choice has to be made. Some have indicated that they would favor rather strict production and marketing controls if necessary to maintain the prices of their products.2 Arguments advanced by Brannan when presenting his program and arguments advanced in most of the testimony which has fol-