L to R: Secretary Nathan Keane, Montana; Treasurer Jamie Kress, Idaho; VP Pat Clements, Kentucky; President Felty; Past President Brent Cheyne, Oregon.
The Commodity Classic is underway, during which Oklahoman Keeff Felty has been elected as the president of the National Association of Wheat Growers. Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays had the chance to catch up with Felty and talk about his priorities for 2024 as NAWG president.
Felty has moved through the different chairs in NAWG leadership to reach this point, starting with his position as NAWG secretary in 2020.
“When I started my journey as secretary in March of 2020, it was two weeks before the big shutdown (COVID-19), so that allowed us another year; everybody stayed put for that year, so I got an extra year as secretary,” Felty said.
As NAWG president, Felty will be leading the effort to see a completed farm bill as soon as possible.
“It is so important that we get this farm bill finished, as we are in a one-year extension, which is good because it keeps everything going, provided they keep the appropriations process and keep the government funded, which is really the hold up on the whole thing on the farm bill at this point,” Felty said. “The primary parties on both sides of the aisle in Washington are extensively ready to go, is my understanding. We have to get his funding mechanism straightened out first.”
Felty said he is hopeful to see a farm bill completed in 2024, but that cannot happen until appropriations are taken care of.
“One of our asks at the National Association of Wheat Growers is an increase in the reference price to better reflect today’s current economics and production environment,” Felty said.
To increase the reference price, Felty said it would take somewhere between 80 billion and 100 billion dollars.
Looking into 2024, Felty said one of his top priorities as President of NAWG, aside from the farm bill, is overall unity and keeping the wheat industry progressive.
“Wheat is one of the original cereal grains and food stocks,” Felty said. “it is something you can work with on your own. It is self-stable; it has a really good history and a good story.”
