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Obama Picks Former Iowa Governor for USDA Secretary
(12-19-08) -- President-elect Barack Obama revealed his choices for a number of key cabinet-level positions this week, including his pick of former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack as the next Secretary of Agriculture.
Groups Ask Congress to Lift Export Credit Guarantee Cap
(12-19-08) -- NAWG, U.S. Wheat Associates and more than a dozen other groups wrote House and Senate agriculture leaders this week asking them to support a waiver or the elimination of the $5.5 billion cap on USDA export credit guarantees as part of an upcoming stimulus package.
$6.8 Million Grant to Help Map One of Wheat’s Genomes
(12-19-08) -- UC-Davis reported this week that a three-year, $6.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation is allowing researchers there to work toward constructing a physical map of one of wheat's three genomes.
NAWG: Vilsack, Salazar Excellent Choices
(12-17-08) -- Statement from NAWG President David Cleavinger, a wheat producer in Wildorado, Texas.
Members Write Bush on Doha, Examine Financial Markets
(12-12-08) -- Though the debate over an automakers' bailout consumed Congress much of the week, a number of agriculture-related items did occur.
Groups Express Farm Bill Regulation Concerns to USDA
(12-12-08) -- NAWG and 20 other organizations wrote Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer Monday expressing their continued concerns with the “significant delay” in publishing regulations for programs in the 2008 Farm Bill.
Grain Groups Urge $45 Million in Funding for CGIAR
(12-12-08) -- Grain and grain research organization representatives wrote Members of Congress this week urging line-item funding in the 2009 fiscal year budget for CGIAR.
Word on Wheat: Goodbye After Four Years and a Farm Bill
(12-12-08) -- Today is my last day at NAWG. This is both my first and last op-ed (thank God) and my opportunity for a public goodbye and exit interview.
Finance, Ways and Means Leaders Send Doha Letter
(12-05-08) -- Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee leadership wrote President George W. Bush this week expressing concern with current texts emerging from World Trade Organization’s Doha Development Round negotiations and urging the Administration to work toward a balanced agreement.
NAWG Represents Wheat at Meetings on Scab, Genomics
(12-05-08) -- NAWG CEO Daren Coppock represented producers this week at the annual conference of the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative and the National Wheat Genomics Conference, held in Indianapolis.
CFTC Approves Proposed Changes to Wheat Contract
(12-05-08) -- The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced this week that it has approved amendments to the Chicago Board of Trade’s (CBOT) wheat futures contract and is setting up a panel to further study the issue of convergence.
NAWG: Check “Wheat” When Registering for Classic
(12-05-08) -- More information about Commodity Classic 2009 is coming out every week, with the show itself only a few months away. Here are a few reminders for wheat attendees.
NAWG Joins in Comments on Biotechnology Regulation
(11-26-08) -- NAWG joined a number of other agricultural industry organizations in submitting comments this week on pending federal biotechnology regulations.
USDA Asks for Comments on Technical Committees
(11-26-08) -- USDA is asking for comments on proposed changes to the structure and functions of state technical committees, which will have significant influence over how conservation programs in the 2008 Farm Bill are implemented.
Farm Bureau Survey Shows Turkey Day Costs up 6 Percent
(11-26-08) -- The American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual informal price survey of items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table showed the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $44.61, a $2.35 price increase from last year.
Word on Wheat: 1.3 Billion, Eating One Acre at a Time
(11-26-08) -- A little more than a week ago, I returned home from a two-week study tour in China with other members of the Monsanto Grower Advisory Council.
Little Action in Lame Duck Aimed at Economic Recovery
(11-21-08) -- Members of Congress returned to Washington, D.C., this week for a lame duck session focused on the nation’s ongoing economic woes and positioning leadership for next year.
Cleavinger and Coppock Return from China Study Tour
(11-21-08) -- NAWG President David Cleavinger and CEO Daren Coppock returned last weekend from a two-week study mission in China as part of Monsanto’s Grower Advisory Council (GAC).
Classic Registration, Housing and Event Info in the Mail
(11-21-08) -- Growers should be receiving Commodity Classic registration brochures and information on NAWG’s annual WheatPAC dinner and auction in the mail over the next week or so.
USDA Accepting Applications for Biorefinery Guarantees
(11-21-08) -- USDA is now accepting applications for loan guarantees under the Biorefinery Assistance Program in the 2008 Farm Bill.
Congress to Come Back for Lame Duck, Agenda Unclear
(11-14-08) -- Members of Congress will reportedly come back to Washington next week for a lame duck session, though what’s on the agenda remains unclear.
World Leaders Agree on Roadmap to Tackle Ug99
(11-14-08) -- Representatives from agricultural organizations from around the world met in India late last week to discuss the threat of Ug99, a virulent stem rust, and how to effectively deal with it through surveillance and breeding.
Registration, Housing Open for Commodity Classic 2009
(11-14-08) -- Housing reservations and registrations are now being accepted for Commodity Classic 2009, scheduled for Feb. 26-28 in Grapevine, Texas.
Word on Wheat: What Does the Doha Round Mean to You?
(11-14-08) -- As a wheat grower, I was especially interested in a presentation on the ongoing Doha Round negotiations given at the NAWG and U.S. Wheat meetings a few weeks ago in Dallas.
Elections Deliver White House, Congress to Democrats
(11-07-08) -- Speculation about what effects the Obama Administration will have on agricultural policy followed the results of long-awaited elections Tuesday that delivered both chambers of Congress and the White House to Democrats.
Wheat Organizations Hold Fall Business Meetings in Dallas
(11-07-08) -- Grower-leaders from NAWG and U.S. Wheat Associates met in Dallas last weekend to review policy priorities for the industry.
Major Rail Study Released, Public Comments Requested
(11-07-08) -- A rail competition study commissioned by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and conducted by Christensen Associates was released this week.
Days Remain Until Long-Awaited Presidential Election
(10-31-08) -- After years of campaigning, just days remain until Americans go to the polls to select new Congressional representatives and a new president.
NAWG, Iogen Comment on Biomass Incentive Program
(10-31-08) -- NAWG and Iogen submitted comments this week on the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) included in the 2008 Farm Bill.
Word on Wheat: Falling Prices and Rising Anxiety on Farms
(10-31-08) -- Say good bye to $8 wheat. No, $7 wheat. Change that to $6 wheat. Um, $5 looks to be going fast. Should I have priced more earlier? Welcome inside the head of a wheat grower from Kansas.
NAWG Participates in Ag Sustainability Meeting
(10-24-08) -- NAWG Director Matt Gellings of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and NAWG CEO Daren Coppock participated this week in a plenary meeting of Field to Market, an alliance for sustainable agriculture, held in Colorado.
Wheat Outlook Report Shows Record All-Wheat Yield
(10-24-08) -- USDA’s Wheat Outlook report released last week showed that all-wheat yield in the U.S. has hit a new record at 44.9 bushels per acre.
Online Offerings Supplement Heartland’s New Season
(10-24-08) -- The fourth season of America’s Heartland is now airing on public television stations across the country, supplemented by a robust line-up of Web offerings at americasheartland.org.
Bill to Suspend 10-Acre Rule for One Year Gets Bush Signature
(10-17-08) -- President George W. Bush signed into law this week H.R. 6849, which suspends the 10-acre rule for one year and makes technical corrections to the SURE disaster program.
Wheat Tumbles Amid Continued Market Crisis
(10-17-08) -- The phrase “what goes up, must come down” took on new meaning for wheat producers in the last week, as futures markets reached 16-month lows amid continued turmoil in the broader economy.
Third Cellulosic Ethanol Summit Set for Florida
(10-17-08) -- The third annual Cellulosic Ethanol Summit is scheduled for Nov. 17 to 19 at the Westin Colonnade Hotel in Coral Gables, Fla.
Word on Wheat: In NYC, Proof of the Need for Ag Education
(10-17-08) -- I have fielded a lot of unusual inquiries during my nearly three years at NAWG, so when I volunteered for the Wheat Foods Council’s Urban Wheat Field in the heart of New York City, I expected a few doozeys in addition to a lot of teaching moments.
USDA, DOE Announce National Biofuels Action Plan
(10-10-08) -- NAWG participated this week in a roll-out announcement by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy for the National Biofuels Action Plan.
APHIS Publishes Proposed Rule on Trait Regulation
(10-10-08) -- USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced this week a proposed rule to update its regulation of biotechnology traits.
Urban Wheat Field Brings Wheat, Education to NYC
(10-10-08) -- NAWG President David Cleavinger and Director of Communications Melissa George Kessler joined others from the wheat industry at the Wheat Foods Council’s Urban Wheat Field Experience in New York City this week.
Corrections Made to 10-Acre, SURE As Session Winds Down
(10-03-08) -- Congress approved a bill this week that will suspend the 10-acre rule for one year and make technical corrections to the SURE disaster program.
Schuler Travels to Washington for Trade Policy Meetings
(10-03-08) -- NAWG Past President and NAWG/U.S. Wheat Associates Joint International Trade Policy Committee (JITPC) Vice Chairman Dale Schuler visited Washington, D.C., this week for a series of trade meetings on Capitol Hill and with the office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
Breakthrough in Wheat Genome Mapping Reported
(10-03-08) -- French scientists reported this week that they have mapped the largest chromosome in the wheat genome, chromosome 3B, a feat reported in more detail in the current edition of the journal Science.
Word on Wheat: Triggering Problems for Producers
(10-03-08) -- As wheat harvest winds down in the Northern Plains, the effects of the 2008 drought in western North Dakota are becoming painfully evident. Unfortunately for many producers and our industry, delays in the timely settlement of many crop insurance claims are only adding to the misery.
10-Acre Rule Bill Passes House; Senate Bill Introduced
(09-26-08) -- The House of Representatives approved a bill Wednesday that would suspend the so-called “10-acre rule” for the 2008 and 2009 crop years.
Coppock in Saskatchewan to Talk Biotechnology in Wheat
(09-26-08) -- NAWG CEO Daren Coppock traveled north this week to talk biotechnology and wheat in Saskatchewan.
CSREES Grants $1 Million to KSU Wheat Genome Research
(09-26-08) -- CSREES announced this week that it has renewed a grant to Kansas State University researcher Dr. Bikram Gill to complete the physical map of wheat chromosome 3A by August 2010.
House Agriculture Votes to Suspend 10-Acre Rule
(09-19-08) -- The House Agriculture Committee approved a bill Thursday that would suspend the so-called “10-acre rule” for two years.
House Approves Bill to Increase Market Transparency
(09-19-08) -- After a summer of questions about the functioning of futures markets, the House of Representatives revisited a bill Thursday that would attempt to increase transparency and accountability.
Word on Wheat: Funding Crabs, Seals and Wheat
(09-19-08) -- However you may feel about earmarks as a political issue, it struck me that these were the same type of requested earmarks that our respective state universities request on behalf of the agricultural industry every year.
Energy, Trade, Markets Focus of Congress’ First Week Back
(09-12-08) -- Work on the Hill this week was abbreviated when the House went home early due to Hurricane Ike, but it nevertheless touched on a number of key issues.
CFTC Chair Testifies on Traders, Markets Report
(09-12-08) -- Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Acting Chairman Walter Lukken testified before the House Committee on Agriculture Thursday on the role of swap dealers and index traders and whether their connection to the futures markets is having an impact on the price of commodities.
WASDE: U.S. Wheat Output Up 19%, World Up 11%
(09-12-08) -- Friday’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report from USDA showed an unchanged U.S. wheat and wheat by-class balance sheet, though the range of projected average farm prices was narrowed to between $6.70 and $7.80, versus $6.50 to $8 last month.
Growers for 2008 WILOT Training Class Selected
(09-12-08) -- Eleven growers and grower representatives have been selected to attend the 2008 Wheat Industry Leaders of Tomorrow (WILOT) leadership training program in October.
Ag Groups Write Schafer on ACRE Implementation
(09-05-08) -- NAWG and other commodity groups told Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer this week that USDA plans to implement the ACRE program would undermine its goal of providing an accurate revenue guarantee.
CIMMYT Head Says Biotech Resistance Causing Hunger
(09-05-08) -- The head of CIMMYT, the leading world wheat research center, told news agency Reuters this week in stark terms that resistance to biotech wheat from rich countries was hurting food security in poor countries.
Word on Wheat: Politics, Like Policy, Really Does Matter
(09-05-08) --
At this point in the election cycle, NAWG leaders and staff often get asked where the organization stands on the presidential contest. Will we be endorsing any candidates? The short answer is: no.
USDA Shows Wheat Price Up, But Not High Enough
(09-05-08) -- USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) said in a report this week that the price received by farmers for wheat in August was up 86 cents from July and $2.38 from August of last year.
USDA Report Shows Rising Farm Incomes on Grain Prices
(08-29-08) -- USDA agencies issued reports Thursday projecting record net farm income in 2008 and lowered exports in the 2009 fiscal year.
Hotel Information Online for Wheat Fall Board Meetings
(08-29-08) -- Grower-leaders who have not already made arrangements to attend the 2008 NAWG and U.S. Wheat fall meetings in Dallas should do so in the coming weeks.
September Deadlines Set for SURE Buy-in, Other Programs
(08-29-08) -- September brings a number of important dates to remember for wheat producers.
NAWGF Development Committee Meets in Canada
(08-22-08) -- Discussions at the annual NAWG Foundation Development Committee summer meeting, held this week in Ottawa, focused on how to implement strategic initiatives formulated early in the year.
Fourth Season of America’s Heartland Begins Soon
(08-22-08) -- The fourth season of America’s Heartland is set to debut on public TV stations across the nation in the first weeks of September.
Word on Wheat: The 2008 Farm Bill Isn’t Nearly Over Yet
(08-22-08) -- An ill-informed urban aunt of mine always liked to say this time of year, “Well, now that wheat harvest is done, you guys can take it easy for the rest of the year.” If only.
Members Hit Back on USDA 10-Acre Rule Implementation
(08-15-08) -- A USDA plan to bar producers from aggregating acreage on their farms in order to receive farm payments under the 2008 Farm Bill has drawn a stern reaction from Members of Congress in both chambers and grower groups like NAWG.
Coppock Travels to Portugal for U.S. Wheat Staff Meeting
(08-15-08) -- NAWG CEO Daren Coppock traveled to Porto, Portugal, this week on the invitation of U.S. Wheat Associates to discuss the 2008 Farm Bill and wheat biotechnology with USW foreign office staff.
History’s Modern Marvels to Showcase Wheat and Industry
(08-15-08) -- The History Channel’s Modern Marvels series will feature wheat next Thursday, Aug. 21, at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 8 p.m. Central.
Congress Leaves For Summer Recess With Little Done
(08-08-08) -- Congress started its traditional five-week summer recess this week, leaving without addressing energy costs - a top priority - or finishing any appropriations bills.
EPA Denies Texas’ Request for Changes to the RFS
(08-08-08) -- Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson announced Thursday he was denying a request from the state of Texas to modify the renewable fuels standard (RFS) for 2008.
NASS: 2007 Farm Expenditures Increase 9.3 Percent
(08-08-08) -- The National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) released its summary of farm expenditures for 2007 this week, showing a 9.3 percent increase in production expenditures in the past year and a nearly 30 percent increase over the past five years.
Word on Wheat: Building Global Bridges
(08-08-08) -- I was in Australia recently to attend the 2008 Australian Grain Industry Conference and build relationships with Australian industry to collaborate on biotechnology.
USDA Announces No CRP Early-Outs Without Penalties
(08-01-08) -- After much anticipation, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer announced this week that USDA will not allow landowners to withdraw acreage from the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) without paying contractual penalties.
After Years of Work, Doha Round Talks Collapse Again
(08-01-08) -- Seven years after the Round was launched and more than a week after trade ministers convened in Geneva, the Doha Round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations collapsed once again Tuesday.
Coppock Talks Biotech at Australian Grain Conference
(08-01-08) -- NAWG CEO Daren Coppock spent this week “down under” in Australia as an invited speaker at the Australia Grains Industry Conference in Melbourne.
Trade Agenda Sees Little Movement in Geneva, D.C.
(07-25-08) -- Efforts this week in Geneva to reach a breakthrough in the Doha Round of World Trade Organization talks met little success despite yet another offer of cuts to domestic supports by the U.S.
House Subcommittee Looks at RFS Implementation
(07-25-08) -- The House Agriculture Committee’s subcommittee with jurisdiction over energy held a hearing this week to review the renewable fuels standard (RFS).
Word on Wheat: Farming, Fuels and Climate Change
(07-25-08) -- Some of the most pressing issues faced by NAWG’s Environment and Renewable Resources Committee can leave people scratching their heads, saying, “What does this have to do with the business of growing wheat?”
Ag Groups, Senators Write Administration on Doha
(07-18-08) -- NAWG and other agricultural groups and Members of the Senate’s Agriculture Committee wrote Bush Administration officials this week, reiterating the necessity of market access gains for agricultural products in any Doha Round agreement.
Senate Appropriations Clears FY2009 Agriculture Bill
(07-18-08) -- The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY2009 agriculture appropriations bill Thursday.
Judge Extends Haying and Grazing Restrictions
(07-18-08) -- A federal judge ordered Thursday that the two sides in a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) haying and grazing dispute come up with a compromise by Tuesday, July 22.
House Ag Looks at CFTC, Senate Ag Confirms Nominees
(07-11-08) -- Oversight and possible legislative changes to commodity market regulation highlighted work in Congress’ agriculture-related committees this week.
House Subcommittee Looks at Truck Lengths, Weights
(07-11-08) -- The House Transportation Committee’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit held a hearing on truck lengths and weights this week.
CRP Haying and Grazing Stopped By Federal Court
(07-11-08) -- A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order this week against haying and grazing on 24 million acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land.
Word on Wheat: Thinking About Rail During Harvest
(07-11-08) -- Lost grain can represent a significant part of our profits. For many of us, we also lose tens of thousands of dollars in profit each year by paying more than we should in excess freight.
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