2013 Goals & Resolutions
Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers
“BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WHEAT GROWERS TO INCREASE PROFITS”
VALUE ADDED AND TRADE
The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers . . .
…Should empower growers with information and communication technology that allows them to remain independent while working together in the marketplace, to improve net income.
…Supports the creation and financing of integrated, farmer-owned processing and marketing systems that allows farmers to produce, process and directly offer the food and non-food products that customers around the world demand.
…Supports state and federal funding for assistance in the continued support and development of rural value added projects i.e. AURI.…Supports increased government funding and enhanced government policies for all export and Ag programs that maximize net income, including wheat donations to keep the food in Food Aid. (2008 EY)
…Supports maintaining funding of Foreign Market Development (FMD). (2011 DL)
…Supports overseas market development programs carried out by the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council and U.S. Wheat Associates both funded by check-off dollars.
…Supports biotechnology and encourage millers, bakers, and consumers to accept the use of biotechnology to improve wheat production and wheat end use qualities. (2006)
…Urges that the U.S. and the World Trade Organization (WTO) resolve non-uniform standards (i.e. chemical registrations/prices, Genetically Enhanced Organisms [GEO] issues), and unreasonable sanitary/phytosanitary tolerance levels used to obstruct international grain trade. (i.e. the Canadian Food Inspection Agency new rules.) (Revised 2012 DL)
…Supports the continuation of the Hard Red Spring Classification.
…Supports strong and decisive trade negotiations that eliminate unfair trading practices.
…Supports the use of renewable energy i.e. bio-diesel, ethanol, wind, and their byproducts.
…Supports the State of Minnesota purchasing multi-fuel vehicles and using E-85 and bio-diesel.
…Opposes Federal, state and local level regulation or labeling of biotech-derived products. (Revised 2012 DL)
…Supports changes in the delivery specifications of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange Spring Wheat Contracts, to make it reflect the milling and export specifications currently in use.
…Urges MGEX to designate additional out-state delivery points within wheat growing areas that farmers can deliver to. (2011 JK)
…Supports improved settlement methods on wheat futures contracts that allows for better convergence of cash and futures markets. (Revised 2008 EY)
…Support the state certification of equipment that is used to determine grain quality and grade.
…Supports development of equipment for local elevators that can quickly and better represent the baking quality of wheat. (2011 JK, Revised DL)
…Urges U.S. trade negotiators to demand that other countries honor existing trade agreements. MAWG opposes the inclusion of any commodity in any bilateral trade negotiations, which fail to address the market and trade distorting policies and programs that are prevalent in the world market. MAWG believes true reform of market distorting policies of other countries should properly occur as part of the World Trade Organization negotiating process.
…Supports permanent funding for Minnesota Department of Agriculture international marketing activities.
…MAWG supports the education of the false food versus fuel debate. (Revised 2011 PJ / 2008 PJ)
…MAWG supports an anti-trust investigation into the consolidation of the agricultural input and marketing industries. (2009 JK)
FARM PROGRAMS AND CROP INSURANCE
The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…
…Supports extending the term of the regular grain loan program from 9 to up to 16 months.
…Supports RMA working with the wheat industry to find accurate quality loss data that can be used to reform quality adjustment factors. (Revised 2008 EY)
…Supports crop insurance reform that addresses producer APH reductions due to multi-year natural disasters.
…Disaster assistance should not penalize producers who have purchased higher levels of crop insurance.
…Supports additional crop insurance funding to help make higher levels of coverage affordable.
…Supports that all rule and appeal committees shall accept input from all county NRCS and FSA offices and committees.
…Shrinkage should be standardized and based on FGIS actual shrink charts.
…Supports seeking indemnity fund legislation that protects producer sales and purchases against merchandiser insolvency and is fair and equitable to all producers. (Revised 2012 JK)
…Opposes the closing of any Minnesota FSA or NRCS offices that provides service to a significant number of producers. (2007 SP)
…Supports funding to upgrade FSA computer systems and to expand online offerings. (2009 RM/EY)
…Supports revenue proposals that have farm level triggers. (Revised 2011 EY and PJ/ 2007 RM)
…Supports allowing the state FSA committee to set quality adjustment factors on disaster assistance that accurately reflect market conditions at the time of harvest. (2007 PJ)
…Supports crop insurance policies that ensure that the insurable yields for new landowners/renters more accurately reflect the productivity of the newly acquired land. (2007 JN)
…Supports increasing crop insurance audit triggers. (Revised 2011 PJ/2008 EY)
…Opposes limits on how much the Revenue Protection (RP) harvest price can fluctuate from the RP spring price. (2008 PJ/Revised 2010 HD)
…Supports reinstating the harvest option price increase for prevented plant claims. (2010 MP)
…Supports October 1st crop insurance billing date. (2011 PJ)
…Supports a 2012 Farm Bill which supports a strong safety net. (2011 BH)
…Opposes extension of the 2008 Farm Bill. (2012 EY)
RESEARCH
The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…
…Supports the establishment of a wheat industry and consumer alliance that increases productivity and crop quality through long-term research.
…Supports university research in variety development for the benefit of consumers and producers.
…Supports the Minnesota Wheat Research & Promotion Council’s research programs and its mandatory non-refundable check-off.
…Supports continued research into wheat diseases and pests. (2009 EY)
…Supports the NAWG/USW Joint Committee on Biotechnology’s goals and policy statement. (2009 SS)
…Supports legislation that mandates producer input on U of M research programs and priorities.
…Supports state funding for the Ag special at the University of Minnesota provided it is only used for agricultural purposes. I.e. experiment station, extension, 4-H
…Supports a legislative initiative to increase base funding by $10 million for critical agricultural research programs and agricultural extension programs at the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources.
…Supports maintaining production agriculture as a component of the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources. (2006)
…Supports a regional winter wheat breeding program jointly funded by the State of North Dakota and the State of Minnesota and other potential funding sources. (2007 RM/ Revised 2010 BL)
…Supports an in-season pest and disease survey. (2010 BL)
…Supports making producer-driven production research a priority activity of the AGRI fund and that broad based producer representation become part of the oversight and awarding process, and also supports extending the sunset period for the AGRI fund. (2011 PJ)
…. Urges oversight hearings be held for federal regulators (i.e. USDA, FDA and EPA) on causes and reasons for the slowdown in the approval process of biotech traits to attain oversight and accountability. (2011 PA)
MEMBERSHIP
The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…
…Will promote and expand the cooperation among all Ag groups in Minnesota to enhance the image of agriculture and to educate consumers on the importance of agriculture.
CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENT (Revised 2008 CG)
The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…
…Supports allowing 250 acres to be eligible for the mulch till incentive under the EQIP program. (2006)
…Supports voluntary Best Management Practices and opposes regulatory policies that reduce the net income of production agriculture and weaken individual property rights.
…Supports reform of Minnesota’s eminent domain law to ensure that eminent domain is used only for public infrastructure & utility purposes and not for private economic development, conservation, habitat, or recreational purposes. (Revised 2008 EY)
…Supports that all pesticide removals should be based on sound science.
…Supports that all water quality and drainage issues be based on sound scientific research in the formulation of data that will be uniformly used at all levels of government. (2011 JK)
…Supports the strengthening of Minnesota’s Right to Farm Law.
…Endorses an adequately funded, incentive-based, long-term conservation fund, which enhances the environment and removes fragile and marginal acres from production, such as CRP and other long-term programs that idle acres at comparable commercial rental rates. And believes additional CRP Environmental points should be given to areas which have been frequently flooded and which could temporarily hold water at different times throughout the year.
…Opposes permanent easements on agricultural land.
…Supports worthy conservation practices such as buffer strips, wildlife habitat, wetland restoration, and flood control/mitigation and MAWG will work with USDA to enhance adoption of these practices under the Continuous CRP and other such programs that do not rely on permanent easements.
…Supports maintaining the 25% maximum for the amount of a counties crop land that can be enrolled in CRP.
…Supports allowing Continuous CRP to be enrolled above the 25% county max. I.e. Buffer Strips (Revised 2010 CA)
…Urges that CRP continue to be classified as agriculture land so that it does not have to be posted.
…Urges that CRP qualifying criteria take wind and water erosion into equal account and that adequate ranking be given for wildlife habitat benefits.
…Opposes re-establishment of base acres on CRP acres.
…Support the original determination and classification of wetlands on CRP land at the time the contract was entered into. (2006)
…Opposes the re-delineation of wetlands by NRCS and supports the use of the original wetland determinations for certification.
…Supports an environmental tax credit, which would provide an income tax credit to offset costs associated with implementing soil conservation and other environmental practices, including conservation tillage equipment.
…Supports stronger enforcement of noxious weed control on public and private land. i.e. ag land, CRP, RIM, DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian Pacific Rail, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, State of MN roads and Watershed Districts, road and rail right of ways and other public lands. (Revised 2008 EY)
…Urges that all private wetlands should be under the jurisdiction of NRCS and not the Army Corp of Engineers.
… Urges the rules of Conservation Stewardship Program should take into consideration the regional differences and county needs in all management practices. I.e. Winter Cereal Incentive Program
…Opposes legislation that would give local units of governments the authority to regulate the use of fertilizer or pesticide products.
…Opposes the legislature or any local units of government passing any law preventing farmers from planting seed approved by the federal government.
...Opposes efforts to restrict state registration of, or require state environmental review of, pesticide products approved by the EPA. (2006)
…Opposes legislation that places limits on or requires record keeping of commercial (non-manure) fertilizer applications.
…Opposes legislation that requires pesticide applicators to provide notice of application or that application records be made public.
…Supports the retention of water monitoring activities in the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. (Revised 2012 KA)
…Supports legislation that would add major commodity group representation to the Board of Water and Soil Resources.
…Supports and encourages direct producer participation in Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Watershed District working groups and NRCS local working groups, which will have a major role in determining how conservation and environmental initiatives are implemented at the local level. I.e. notification of meetings by email, text message, and/or mail. (Revised 2011 JK)
…Support MDA’s on-farm liquid fertilizer storage proposal, but opposes on-farm inspection or permit fees of any kind.
…Opposes any waiver of penalties on land that is taken out of CRP early. (2007 EY)
…Supports a voluntary DNR hunter “walk-in” program on private land provided the landowner is exempt from liability. (2007 JN)
…Supports application of pesticides by licensed applicators with no additional restrictions beyond the label. (2007 MP)
…Pesticides applied according to label directions should not be considered point source pollutants. (2009 RM)
…Supports maintaining exclusive authority for the common detection program, pesticide registrations, and the regulation of pesticide and fertilizer use with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and not the Minnesota Department of Health. (2007 JN)
…Supports the use of common sense and peer-reviewed science when considering climate change legislation. (2007 JN)
…Opposes greenhouse gas legislation or regulation that has a negative impact on production agriculture. MAWG will strive for a net economic benefit to farmers. (2009 DL/EY)
…Opposes expanding the powers of the Federal Government under the U.S. Clean Water Act. (2007 DU/ Revised 2009 MP)
…Supports Lessard funds be used for working lands conservation efforts rather than land acquisition. (2009 RM)
…Opposes DNR’s and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s ability to obstruct ditch maintenance projects initiated by local ditch authorities. (2009 RM)
…MAWG supports a volunteer program that provides financial incentives to temporarily hold water on land for the purpose of reducing stream flow and flooding. (2009 RA)
…Will work with the Red River Retention Authority on public & private land to improve and increase temporary retention in the Red River of the North basin to mitigate flooding. (Revised 2012 BL / 2011 EY)
…Supports legislation that changes Swamp Buster enforcement to a system that provides a notice of violation before enforcement action is taken, with a reasonable time to cure the violation, before penalties are assessed. MAWG further supports legislation that changes the current penalty provision to a scaled system that is in proportion to the violation, with a 3-year look back limitation. (2010 JK)
…We urge that NAWG and MAWG request that the U.S. Congress and the appropriate committees conduct oversight hearings on legislative intent regarding the application of the “Clean Air Act” and the “Clean Water Act” by the Environmental Protection Agency including but not limited to the following: use of fracking in oil production, fuel tank storage enclosures on farms, and energy savings on appliances. (2011 PA)
…Opposes efforts by activist groups to limit accepted crop or livestock production practices. (2011 JO)
…Opposes linking crop insurance subsidies with conservation compliances. (2012 GA)
TAXES AND FEES
The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…
…Opposes new taxes, surcharges or fees that decrease net farm income and supports tax incentives that increase net farm income.
…Believes that the DNR, Fish & Wildlife Service, Nature Conservancy and entities that own land should be required to pay taxes on an equal basis to that of private landowners. Require land acquired with Lessard funding have permanent funds set aside for payments in lieu of taxes. I.e. ditch assessments & property taxes (Revised 2009 RM)
…Supports a farmer IRA for liquidation of assets at the time the farmer exits the farming operation.
…Supports reinstating and increasing the maximum valuation for Ag Homestead tax credit. (2012 SS)
…Supports legislation that would eliminate the requirement that farmers annually file a Special Ag Homestead credit certification. (2006 MH)
…Supports state legislation that would mirror the federal section 179 depreciation schedules and estate tax exemption. (2007 JN)
…Supports maintaining section 179 depreciation schedules and estate tax exemption at the 2008 level or higher. (2008 CA)
…Supports that the minimum state level of school funding be indexed to the 2002/2003 level. The State should re-implement the constitutional provision of equal funding for education. (2007 DL/Revised 2008 EY/Revised 2010 GF)
…Supports a larger percentage of the bonding bill to go toward roads & bridges throughout the state instead of DNR land acquisitions. (2009 DL)
TRANSPORTATION
The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…
…Supports efforts by U.S, state, county and township transportation agencies as well as private transportation companies to develop strategies that will ensure long-term efficient use of our infrastructure.
…Supports legislation that would provide for competition in the rail system.
…Supports maintaining and enhancing water transportation systems that move U.S. grain to export markets. (2007 MP)
…Supports an increase in the mileage exemption for heavy highway vehicle use tax from 7,500 miles to 20,000 miles for agricultural vehicles. (2006)
…Supports more aggressive transportation funding mechanisms. (2007 JN)
…Supports maintaining the current ag exemptions in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules. (2008 EY)
…Supports federal legislation that would recognize reciprocity between states for interstate agricultural transportation. (2008 EY)
…Supports an exemption of interstate rules within 20 miles. (2012 KA)
…Supports changes in state law that will establish guidelines and parameters for roadside inspections and weighing so as to minimize both officer discretion and grower inconvenience and insure the safety of those involved. (Revised 2011 ES/EY/2008 EY)
…Supports changing MN law to allow tractor trailer trucks to pull a pup trailer behind. (2011 ES)
…Supports increasing truck weights to 105,500 pounds on seven (7) axles. (2012 EY)
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES
The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers…
…Supports and encourages all wheat producers to contribute to the Minnesota State & Minnesota Federal Wheat PAC’s. (Revised 2010 JN)