It has been a couple of months since the Trump Administration began shutting down USAID. As the industry works to adjust, the Washington Grain Commission says it is hoping to see the program get back to its roots.
“There’s been a push for a while to increase this transparency and accountability, and what they say is ‘put the food back in food aid’. There’s been quite a shift in the last five or ten years, even, to cash payments overseas or purchasing commodities overseas, often from our competitors. So, we would like to see a return to the original intent of the program,” said Casey Chumrau.
She is hoping the program can be reworked, saying farmers in the Pacific Northwest rely on that business.
“It is a significant part of the PNW’s export plan, I would say at this point. Food aid is, if you would count it as a country, a top ten market for soft white in the last decade. And so that wheat is purchased commercially like any other bushel of wheat and does support our farmers and then, obviously, helps battle hunger across the world as well.”
USAID’s most recent budget was around $40 billion. It began in the 1960s under President Kennedy, and averaged about $2 billion a year in small grains purchases.
Year-round sales of E-15 are another major topic on Capitol Hill, which, according to Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), is one issue up for debate this session with significant bipartisan support.
September 15, 2025 12:09 PM
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Lawmakers have until September 30 to shore up federal spending for next year, or risk a government shutdown. The Farm Bill is also set to expire the same day.
September 15, 2025 11:57 AM
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Farm CPA Paul Neiffer joined us on Thursday’s Market Day Report for a closer look at how Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill changes to base acres and potential impacts on future ARC and PLC payments.
September 11, 2025 01:36 PM
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Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) joined us on Champions of Rural America to share his insights on upcoming changes to public land management and how they will benefit agriculture and the Western working class.
September 11, 2025 01:21 PM
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As the White House works to close the trade gap, patience is wearing thin for some lawmakers. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says farmers are getting backed into a corner.
September 11, 2025 11:26 AM
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RealAg Radio host Sean Haney joins us for a Canadian perspective on President Trump’s controversial tariff rollout, lower court rulings, and upcoming review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
September 10, 2025 03:10 PM
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