Wheat Growers Urge Congressional Action

September 5, 2000

The National Association of Wheat Growers is urging Congress to act on several issues the organization considers important before closing up the session early next month. Among the issues are disaster assistance, permanent normal trade relations for China, marketing loan limits, unilateral sanctions and tax relief.

In a letter to all members of the Senate and House, NAWG President Terry Detrick called for disaster assistance for wheat producers whose yields have been reduced drastically across the South by dry weather as well as in Montana and other western states. The Senate agricultural appropriations bill includes $450 million, but Detrick says actual losses could reach more than $1.5 billion. "It is equally important that farmers suffering from both quantity and quality losses qualify for this much needed assistance," he said.

Detrick also called on the Senate to follow the House lead on China PNTR. That would help U.S. wheat producers "reap the tremendous trade benefits negotiated as part of the agreement on China’s entry into the World Trade Organization," he said.

Marketing loan gains "are severely limited," he added. Congress last year approved a one-year increase on the limits, but prices have failed to recover, and "many small and medium farmers will again be affected by the limits," said Detrick. He called for another, similar increase for this year.

Wheat producers "strongly support" exempting agricultural commodities from any U.S. unilateral sanctions on a country. Language pending in the appropriations bill conference "would end the practice of balancing questionable foreign policy decisions on the backs of American farmers."

For tax relief, NAWG liked the tax package Congress approved but President Clinton vetoed. The association"strongly supports making health care expenses fully deductible, eliminating the federal estate tax, allowing farmers to establish savings accounts that can be used when incomes are low and reducing the capital gains tax.