The U.S. wheat industry is actively engaged in the ongoing legislative landscape in Washington, D.C., navigating the complexities of farm bill discussions and the reconciliation process. Farm Director KC Sheperd recently spoke with Jake Westlin, Vice President of Policy and Communications for the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), to gain an update on these critical issues.
Westlin highlighted the farm bill as a primary focus for wheat growers, directly linked to the current state of the farm economy. “The farm bill is something that’s at the top of the mind of many of our growers. That goes back to what the state of the farm economy looks like.”
He also addressed the reconciliation debate, noting its initial focus on taxes, aiming to extend and improve upon the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Importantly, Westlin pointed out potential overlaps with farm bill priorities. “Both the House and the Senate Agriculture Committee have their reconciliation instructions that they’re working through as well. There could be opportunities there to include some things that we would typically include in a farm bill process in a reconciliation bill. Thinking about things like Farm Bill Title 1 and 11, which are your reference prices and crop insurance.” He emphasized the desire to incorporate improvements previously discussed for the farm bill, such as “significant increases to the statutory reference prices for wheat” and making crop insurance “more affordable for growers.”
When asked about NAWG’s legislative wish list, Westlin emphasized the importance of market development programs. “I think in addition to map and FMD, the Market Development Program, continuing to increase funding for those programs when we’re cutting these trade deals around the world that President Trump is working on. That once those get implemented, and signed, and we have dollars our growers can match to help continue to expand in our existing markets and build more opportunities for growers.”
Regarding the biggest obstacles, Westlin cited the challenging political dynamics in achieving legislative goals. “There are a lot of challenges with the political dynamic, trying to get things across the finish line. We want to make sure that we’re continuing to educate members of Congress about the current state of the farm economy. If vehicles are moving, we must try to find opportunities for wins, as little or as big as they may be.” He concluded by stressing the importance of seizing opportunities for positive change through reconciliation or a comprehensive farm bill.
