Wheat Growers Face Crisis as Farm Bill Extension Expires
As the farm bill extension expired at midnight on Wednesday, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) is calling on Congress to pass a comprehensive five-year bill that strengthens the farm safety net and provides near-term economic assistance to wheat growers.
According to Jamie Kress, NAWG President and Idaho farmer, 'America's wheat growers are out of runway.' He emphasized that Congress has allowed the farm bill to expire four years in a row, leaving farmers struggling with $7 diesel prices, climbing input costs, and grain prices that won't cover their expenses.
The 2018 Farm Bill extension has lapsed without a new bill being enacted, and while the USDA can continue programs administratively through the end of the year, farmers need certainty from a five-year bill. NAWG urges Congress to act on two fronts: pass a comprehensive five-year Farm Bill that strengthens the farm safety net, and provide near-term economic assistance to carry growers through the current farm input cost crisis.
Kress emphasized that 'economic assistance for farmers isn't a bailout, it's a bridge.' He noted that every month Congress waits, more growers are making planting and financing decisions without knowing what the rules will be. This is no way to treat the people who feed this country.'