Representatives of the Texas Wheat Producers Association (TWPA) met with members of Congress on September 13 and 14 to discuss legislative priorities as part of a fly-in hosted by the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG).
The top priorities addressed during the fly-in were the 2023 Farm Bill and extending the Emergency Relief Program, which currently only covers crop losses due to natural disasters in 2020 and 2021.
“Growers have faced many unprecedented challenges in recent years and our farm programs must reflect the realities of farming today,” said Ben Scholz, a farmer from Lavon. “As Congress negotiates legislation that affects our industry, it’s vital that wheat producers provide feedback that will guide necessary changes.”
Texas Wheat representatives met with members and staff from 10 Texas congressional districts, including both members of the House Agriculture Committee. The group also participated in a panel discussion with key staff members of the House and Senate ag committees, a roundtable with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials and a reception with several national groups celebrating new trade commitments from Taiwan that include 69.8 million bushels of wheat from the U.S. over the next two years.
In June, NAWG published its 2023 Farm Bill priorities, which include protecting and improving crop insurance, increasing the reference price for wheat, supporting the financial and technical assistance provided through voluntary conservation programs and enhancing USDA’s market access and development programs.
“While we made visits to congressional offices in January during the wheat industry’s annual meeting, this supplemental fly-in provided an opportunity to discuss our finalized farm bill priorities ahead of reauthorization,” said Steelee Fischbacher, Texas Wheat Director of Policy. “The timely visit also allowed us to discuss the ongoing disaster needs of farmers facing drought and hopefully influence future funding of the program.”
Leave a Reply