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Farmers need to stop treating soil like dirt: Buffett

Buffett spoke during USDA outlook forum

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

During the United States Department of Agriculture’s annual outlook forum, Howard Buffett, son of billionaire Warren Buffett turned heads yesterday when he said farmers should practice crop diversification and be better environmental stewards to avoid more government intervention.

During a joint presentation with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Buffett said proof of care for resources needs to be shown.

“We have to show the world that we’re willing,” reports Bloomberg. “If we don’t we will be regulated into it.”

Soil

Buffett, who owns and manages a farm in central Illinois, said that how farmers treat their soil can be a major factor in the success of a farm and of a crop.

“How you take care of your soil makes a difference,” he said. “If you treat it like dirt, that’s what you’ll get.”

Buffett’s farm’s corn yield last year was about 227 bushels per acre.

One of the reason’s Buffett is so passionate about farming is that through the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, he helps improve agriculture in developing countries.

To date, his organization has provided nearly $775 million to fight hunger and teach farming techniques and provide access to clean water.

Buffett said he would like to spend more than $700 million over the next 10 years to continue battling global hunger.


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