MN Wheat and Soybean Groups Converge in St. Paul

Twenty wheat and soybean growers traveled by bus recently from northwest Minnesota to the Twin Cities,  where members and leaders of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers joined the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association in St. Paul to lobby on key state issues important to wheat and soybean growers.

The growers broke up into teams for over 30 appointments with state lawmakers.

Key messages and issues of focus:

Concerns and opposition to spray notification legislation. A bill that would require farmers to notify their neighbors every time they spray a field was introduced. Similar attempts have been introduced in past years but have always been defeated – the MAWG is expecting common sense to prevail again in 2007.

Opposition to making producer pesticide records public data. For the past four years, bills have been introduced that would make pesticide application records public data. This issue will surface in one form or another in 2007, and MAWG opposes any bill on this issue.

Express opposition to state bans on GMO–biotech crops. A bill to ban genetically modified wild rice was discussed last year and it might be introduced in 2007.  MAWG opposes attempts to ban or prohibit the use of biotech seeds.

Support legislation that safely increase truck weights while reducing wear on roads. The Minnesota Department of Transportation will advance a proposal to allow heavier trucks to operate in Minnesota in exchange for adding more axles to the truck.  These trucks are safer, do less damage to the roads, and will save farmers time and money. MAWG supports passage of legislation on this issue.

Additional funding for high yielding wheat in Minnesota to meet the renewable energy demand. Additional money is needed to increase capacity to research and develop high yielding wheat that competitively meet the market demand for renewable energy feedstock.

Meeting with Industry on Biotech Wheat
Leaders and members of the MAWG also met with officials of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange and other grain industry leaders. At these meetings, growers discussed the need for moving the commercialization of biotech wheat forward. There was excellent dialogue and understanding on the need to move this technology forward. There is realization that wheat variety development lags other crops, and how this along with the market situation was contributing to a decline in wheat acres. “Everyone seemed to agree that the wheat industry chain has to work together to address the commercialization of biotech wheat,” says Art Brandli, Warroad, Minn., who was involved with the meetings.  “Each part of the chain has its own unique concerns that need to be addressed, and many of the people we met with were willing to work to address those concerns.”

Legislative Mission Participants:

• Dwight Anderson, Warren
• Ron Lanctot, Crookston
• Paul Dragseth, Crookston
• Elliot Solheim, Crookston
• Kurt Krueger, Rothsay
• Lorri Hartel, Red Lake Falls
• Dave Torgerson, Erskine
• Paul Johnson, Hallock
• Mark Jossund, Moorhead
• Melissa Petry, Ada
• Rhonda K. Larson, East Grand Forks
• Paul Aasness, Elbow Lake
• Chad Anvinson, East Grand Forks/Oslo
• Erik Younggren, Hallock
• Wayne Olson, Fosston
• Art Brandli, Warroad
• Ken Asp, Thief River Falls
• Allen Honek, East Grand Forks/Warren
• Randy Jacobson, Brandon