As Congress prepares for the 2023 Farm Bill, the National Association of Wheat Growers says its top priority is protecting crop insurance.
The group says it is not just about protecting the program but finding ways to enhance the insurance to be both effective and affordable to growers.
“You know, when growers are planting out there, and you have Mother Nature to deal with, you have to have that assurance in the back of your mind. So we don’t want to see any further cuts to the program, because there are always those efforts made on a year-to-year basis as part of the budget appropriations process, but to continue to protect that is one of our most important priorities for growers,” said Association of Wheat Growers’ Jake Westlin.
He says expanding foreign trade is also a priority, and the best way to do that is through the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program, but he believes they could use more money.