Coppock pleased with response to petition, discusses budget proposal

Daren Coppock, CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers, speaks to reporters during the opening of the 2009 Commodity Classic Trade Show, Feb. 26.

Coppock said he was pleased with the response from wheat growers to the biotech survey, especially from those states that export a large amount of their wheat to overseas customers.
"The states really were behind the petition," Coppock said. States like Montana and others in the Pacific Northwest, as well as Oklahoma and Colorado showed solid support.

A key to the eventual commercialization of any biotech wheat variety will be the education of foreign and domestic consumers of wheat, and both NAWG and U.S. Wheat Associates are ready to meet that goal.

Coppock also spoke about the recent omnibus bill, which just came out. Two weeks ago, the boards of USW and NAWG held their joint meeting in Washington, D.C. Afterward, NAWG set up appointments with leaders to discuss research funding needs, and took representatives from many segments of the wheat chain along to explain why it's important for federal dollars to be spent on research. Coppock announced that as a result of those conversations, and many others in offices on the Hill, the omnibus bill has $1.5 million set aside for rust research.

Another concern of wheat growers is the recently released proposed budget from President Obama. Coppock said proposal calls for payment limitations of $250,000 per year, and a three-year phase out of direct payments to farms with sales exceeding $500,000 each year. Opposition to the President's proposal is already coming from ag leaders in Congress, Coppock said. NAWG's heard from House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-MN, and from Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-GA, who say it makes no sense to re-open the 2008 farm bill, that was just passed. Senate Budget Committeee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-ND, has stated that it would be a mistake to cut farm supports with the nation in an economic recession.

The budget proposal also calls for cuts to the Market Access Program by 20 percent and cutting crop insurance subsidies to farmers and insurers for crop insurance by $5.2 billion over 10 years.