Farm Bill Deal Still Uncertain

What kind of cap should there be on farm program payments That s a question that has apparently become a sticking point for negotiators working on a new Farm Bill A tentative agreement on the bill was announced last week but today a public meeting of the negotiators was postponed after a private session this morning At issue is how much money should be paid to farmers at a time of record high prices President Bush has called for a reduction in the subsidies during high price periods The new farm bill carries a five-year price tag of close to 300 billion dollars