RENO, Nevada (Staff) – Delegates at the U.S.-based National Association of Wheat Growers rewrote their farm policy in light of a proposed farm bill recently passed by the Senate.
While the final details of the new legislation have yet to be worked out, farmers are being told there will be less of a role for government and more reliance on market forces.
The wheat growers say that’s OK, if there is still a safety net in place.
NAWG’s new policy includes:
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- Support for guaranteed, fixed annual payments.
- Allowing farmers to defer payments to later years as a reserve against bad times.
- A safety net that would provide farmers with a loan equal to the five-year average wheat price.
- Giving farmers freedom to plant whatever they want and still receive the transition payment.
Harlan Klein of Elgin, N.D., said the proposed new payment scheme will benefit farmers in the next couple of years, since high wheat prices would likely have ruled out payments under the old system.
He said most farmers will be glad to see the end of rules that required them to grow certain crops in order to qualify for government support programs.
Now they can respond to the market and use rotations to control pests and disease.
