Radio Address of Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman
                                                               
                                           Release No. 0524.98 

      Radio Address of Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman
                  (As prepared for delivery)
                       December 28, 1998
                                                               
     "In this season of giving and caring, we at USDA are proud of the help
that we have been able to give America's farm families in 1998. I am proud
that our nation rallied behind President Clinton to help farmers who are
battered by low prices and bad weather. USDA got nearly $3 billion in relief
to farmers by Thanksgiving, bringing total direct payments to farmers to $13
billion for 1998. 

     "That helped farmers attain the second highest level of annual net farm
cash income demonstrating the importance of the safety net.  USDA also made
over $7 billion in commodity loans and helped offset lost farm income with
over 1 million loan deficiency payments totaling nearly $2 billion.  The
remaining $3 billion in relief will come in time for Spring planting. 

     "We broke through 77 barriers to U.S. farm exports helping open up $2.2
billion in opportunities for our farmers and ranchers. We also aggressively
expanded our export credit guarantee efforts to hold onto important markets
that were wracked by the Asian-flu. And, we pledged more than 8 million tons
of U.S. food including 4.5 million tons of wheat for donation to hungry people
around the world. 

     "When Mother Nature grew mean, USDA responded quickly, distributing
close to $100 million in low-interest emergency loans and providing $26
million in emergency conservation funds while helping farmers with uninsurable
crops, orchard and vineyard owners and livestock producers.

     "Of course, this past year was about more than crisis management. We
expanded crop insurance and experimented with innovative kinds of coverage,
such as whole-farm coverage. It's no secret that I want 1999 to be the 'year
of the safety net' ... a year in which we build a strong risk management
system anchored in a strengthened crop insurance program.  

     "In 1999, I also want to build on our efforts this past year to combat
anti-competitive practices, to meet agriculture's long-term transportation
needs, and to deliver strong national standards for organic agriculture --
standards that are good for consumers and for organic farmers.   

     "With a solid record to build on, I look forward to a productive and
successful year to lead us into the new millennium.  And, I'd like to take
this opportunity to wish all the men and women of American agriculture a
happy, healthy and prosperous new year."
                                 

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