NAWG Leaders Convene on Capitol Hill

Farm Bill Top Priority

With actions by the farm bill conference committee loom ing in the air, leaders of the National Association of Wheat Growers convened on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. recently to meet with Congressional lawmakers and other policy makers.

NAWG leaders continued to advocate its priorities for a new farm bill. These include:

Maintaining the decoupled nature of support
In order to comply with trade obligations, keep costs under control, provide a safety net in times of crop loss, and to avoid policy influences on planting decisions, NAWG advocates focusing the program on mechanisms not linked to current production.  This includes a preference for steady fixed payments and countercyclical supports instead of high loan rates, which require production to qualify and directly link support to production. This concept also includes not updating program yields or acres and maintaining planting flexibility.  NAWG also supports testing FARRM accounts in a pilot program, and supports payment limitations as constructed in the House bill.

Equity among commodities
Removing from the program any biases that influence planting decisions between crops.

Conservation program
Oppose expansion in the CRP, support for fully funding existing conservation programs such as EQIP, and place a priority on funding conservation on working lands.

Trade programs
NAWG supports increased funding for Foreign Market Development cooperator programs, the Market Access Program, meaningful remedies in the 301 case against the Canadian Wheat Board, and educational and outreach efforts dealing with the products of biotechnology. NAWG also supports an effort to jump-start the market for hard white wheat.

For a comprehensive list of NAWG priorities for the new farm bill, including NAWG backgrounders on the 2002 Farm Bill, the Trade Title of the U.S. Farm Bill, Trade Promotion Authority, and wheat research, see the NAWG’s web site, www.wheatworld.org

The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) recently named Congressman Collin Peterson as one of the 2001 recipients of the Wheat Champion Award which was presented on March 11 during the NAWG annual board meeting held in Washington, D.C.  The award is given annually to a select number of members of Congress who have demonstrated support for the wheat industry above and beyond during the previous year.  The objective is to identify, select and recognize the hard work of individuals, without which the goals and policies of the wheat industry could not be achieved. In the photo above, Richard Magnusson (left), Vice President of Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers (MAWG) and Chad Anvinson, MAWG Board member presented the 2001 Wheat Champion Award to Congressman Collin Peterson.

On Thursday, April 11 the Farm Bill conference committee session focused on the issue of emergency assistance for farmers. The Baucus amendment that provides $2.5 billion in emergency assistance was hotly debated in a discussion that deliberated on the inclusion of the provision in the farm bill. 

Chuck Connor, Special Assistant to the President for Agricultural Trade and Food Assistance joined the conferees. Mr. Connor made clear that the Administration is not opposed to inclusion of the disaster funding if it is included within the $73.5 billion Farm Bill budget. Chairman Combest expressed concern about giving up money for an emergency, and expressed concern that the conference report would not survive if there was an emergency designation with a Point of Order waiving the budget constraint.

Rep. Collin Peterson defended the provision and explained that it was critical for areas that had suffered a disaster. While Montana experienced drought, he explained, areas of Minnesota have struggled with wet conditions, and in some areas experienced a 65% prevented planting. He pointed out that producers had fulfilled conservation requirements, spending resources without income.

Senator Kent Conrad also defended the proposal for disaster assistance in addition to the $73.5 budget provision, pointing out that it is the obligation of government to assist in such disasters. However, it was Chairman Larry Com-best who reminded him that the higher loan rate and lower fixed rate supported by Senator Conrad would have further failed producers in the face of such a disaster.