News and Views

Association Perspectives:

Congress Must Find Common Ground and Pass a Farm Bill in 2002

While official consideration of a Farm Bill is temporarily on hold until the Senate reconvenes on January 23, efforts to procure fair and equitable farm bill legislation have been moving forward.

During the holiday recess, association leaders have been meeting with members of Congress, impressing upon them that farm bill legislation is needed this year, before spring planting.

Of primary concern is the passage of a farm bill out of the Senate.  The National Association of Wheat Growers has been maintaining contact with the Senate leadership during the legislative recess to prepare for a return to farm bill consideration and an attempt to move out of the political to the policy.

Staff for Senate Ag Committee Chair Tom Harkin have indicated that the Senator intends to take up the bill when the Senate reconvenes, and that the Senator is open to modifications to make the bill more widely acceptable. The NAWG is working with both Democratic and Republican Senators to seek common ground.

It is clear that previous farm programs have been ineffective in establishing equity in the level of total support and loan levels among program crops. Inequity among crops causes production distortions and large differences in economic outcome among crops and their primary growing regions of the country.

In bringing this message to Congress, NAWG has provided its research of comparisons of commodities through 1) The comparison of total support over a historical period of time, 2) Comparison of cost of production, and 3) comparison of actual prices. Based on this analysis, support for wheat has not been on par with other commodities and results in distortion of production. Equity must be restored among program crops, both in loan rates and total support.

“Association Perspectives” represents the views of the North Dakota Grain Growers Association, South Dakota Wheat Inc., and the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, which publishes Prairie Grains along with the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council.