Key issues to support Kansas wheat farmers
速
Kansas Association of Wheat Growers
Who We Are The Kansas Association of Wheat Growers is a member-governed organization representing wheat growers in planning legislation, advising government and international agencies on matters affecting wheat and providing grass-roots leadership to the U.S. wheat industry. To carry out this commitment to our members, we ask that the United States Congress:
Increase Wheat Producers’ Access to International Markets • KAWG supports fair and open trade of wheat throughout the world. • KAWG supports trade agreements that have positive benefits to the Kansas wheat producer. • KAWG supports the advancement of comprehensive, multi-lateral and bi-lateral negotiations to expand trade in goods and services. • KAWG supports a strong, flexible U.S. food aid program that contains both in-kind donations and monetization. • KAWG supports legislation to end the Cuban embargo and normalize trade and travel relations. • KAWG supports international agricultural development that enhances potential for export growth. • KAWG supports any and all efforts required to prevent U.S. dependence on foreign produced food.
Support Reasonable and Predictable Environmental Protections • KAWG supports broad efforts to reduce the regulatory burden facing farmers burdenincluding facing farmers ranchers, including those that and ranchers, those thatand provide for additional congressional review of regulations. provide for additional congressional review of regulations. • KAWG opposes efforts by the federal government to expand the jurisdiction or scope expand of the Clean Act. theWater jurisdiction or scope of the Clean Water Act. • KAWG recognizes the importance of protecting bodies of water from nutrient • KAWG recognizes the importance of protecting bodies of and sediment loadings and supports voluntary measures, including conservation programs water from nutrient and sediment loadings and supports to achieve desired environmental goals, but opposes EPA efforts to impose mandatory voluntaryrequirements measures,for including programs to and enforceable non-pointconservation sources of pollution from agricultural lands.achieve desired environmental goals, but opposes EPA
for opposes non-point sources of pollutionProtection from agricultural lands.regulate • KAWG efforts by the Environmental Agency to further particulate matter, including farm dust. • KAWG supports current Conservation Reserve Program contract Agency to the further regulate particulate matter, (CRP) including provisions. farm dust. • KAWG supports a comprehensive national energy policy that is supportive to • KAWG supports the current Conservation Reserve agriculture and supports the vision of 25% renewable energy by 2025
Program (CRP) contract provisions.
• KAWG supports a comprehensive national energy policy that is supportive to agriculture and supports the vision of 25% renewable energy by 2025
Stabilize Farmer Protection Resources • KAWG recognizes crop insurance as the primary safety net for agricultural producers and opposes further • KAWG recognizes crop insurance as the primary safety net for agricultural reductions infurther farm program limitations, producers and opposes reductions payment in farm program paymentincluding limitations, arbitrary crop insurance premium. including arbitrary limitations limitations onon crop insurance premium. • KAWG supports the timelyofdevelopment of new and risk • KAWG supports the timely development new and evolution of current management products to better meet needs (planting andtoreporting evolution of current risk producer management products better dates, arbitrary lines producer dividing production management practices, de-minimus meet needs (planting and reporting dates, yields), developing risk management coverage for crop quality losses, producer education arbitrary lines dividing production management practices, on risk management alternatives and instituting a state level producer advisory de-minimus yields), developing risk management coverage committee. for crop quality losses, producer education on risk management and(farmers, instituting a state level • KAWG supports inputalternatives from stakeholders ranchers, county and state committee members) before changes are considered in the administration of USDA producer advisory committee. agencies to better manage services to farmers and ranchers.
• KAWG supports input from stakeholders (farmers, • KAWG supports Federal State policies that promote job creation, economic ranchers, countyand and state committee members) before growth and improve the quality of life in rural communities. changes are considered in the administration of USDA agencies to better manage services to farmers and ranchers. • KAWG supports increasing the estate tax exemption with the final goal of elimination of the estate tax.
• KAWG supports Federal and State policies that promote job creation, economic growth and improve the quality of life in rural communities. • KAWG supports increasing the estate tax exemption with
Encourage Advancements in Wheat Resource • KAWG supports research and education to study the • KAWG supports research and education to study the components in wheat that will havenutrition, marketable benefits energyfor ornutrition, shelter.energy or shelter. • KAWG supports the efforts in pursuit of advanced technologies for our industry and their effort to make the products of both breeding and biotechnology and commercial reality in the wheat industry.
ucts of both breeding and biotechnology and commercial reality in thethewheat • KAWG supports “Farmerindustry. Assurance Provisions” included in the 2012 continuing resolution becoming permanent law to mitigate the role adverse court decisions play in commercialization of GM-Traits. • KAWG supports the "Farmer Assurance Provisions"
included in the 2012 continuing resolution becoming • KAWG supports the of thethe wheat genome and the continued efforts of permanent lawsequencing to mitigate role adverse court decisions the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC). play in commercialization of GM-Traits. • KAWG supports the sequencing of the wheat genome and Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC).
Daniel Heady dheady@kswheat.com 785-539-0255