From DTN Agricultural groups started the White House’s infrastructure and budget week on Monday by focusing on—trade. Farm groups coming together to call themselves the Asia-Pacific Working Group, which is parts of the U.S. Food and Agriculture Dialogue for Trade, sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer as the Asia-Pacific Working Group jumped on comments from President Donald ... Read More »

From the National Association of Wheat Growers Today, President Trump released his FY2019 budget which reduces the budget for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by 16 percent from the 2017 enacted level. The proposed budget also calls for cuts to vital farm bill programs, including crop insurance and other key safety net provisions. “The Administration’s proposed cuts to key ... Read More »

More than two dozen wheat growers and staff descended on the state capital last month as part of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers’ annual Olympia Days trip, landing amidst a flurry of Senate and House activity aimed squarely at two of the group’s highest priorities: resolving the fight over permit-exempt wells and passing the capital budget. Growers and staff ... Read More »

From Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Tuesday was is the 30th day of the 2018 legislative Session, and last Friday was the first cutoff of the 2018 Legislative Session. Cutoff dates play a crucial role in the legislative process as any bills that have not made it out of a policy committee are considered dead and are no longer eligible to ... Read More »

From the Capital Press The Washington State Department of Agriculture is trying to determine the impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership proceeding without the U.S. “We’re still figuring out what that impact is, and how quickly those competitive disadvantages will emerge,” said Derek Sandison, WSDA director. “How much time do we have to find a solution before we actually are having ... Read More »

Trade, the 2018 Farm Bill and crop insurance top the list of priorities leadership and staff of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) will focus on during their advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., this week. The wheat growers will be meeting with many of Washington state’s federal delegation, as well as several of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s agencies ... Read More »

From USDA U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue recently announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) farm bill and legislative principles for 2018 during a town hall at Reinford Farms in Mifflintown, Penn. “Since my first day as the secretary of agriculture, I’ve traveled to 30 states, listening to the people of American agriculture about what is working and what ... Read More »

From the Capital Press President Donald Trump needs to rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, an agriculture policy expert says. The president made an off-the-cuff remark when speaking with world leaders at the Davos, Switzerland, economic summit that he’d be willing to take another look at the deal, but it would have to be renegotiated and improved considerably for the ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG lobbyist Today marks the 23rd day of the 2018 Legislative Session. There are three days remaining until the first legislative deadline, Feb. 2, 2018, when all policy bills must make it out of their policy committee. The agriculture industry was out in force last week at the hearing on proposed legislation to require four days notice ... Read More »

From the National Association of Wheat Growers Last night, President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union Address as president. National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) CEO Chandler Goule provided the following statement in response: “While the president addressed many issues of importance to the American people, it was unfortunate that he did not focus more of his ... Read More »