Washington wheat growers and cap and trade

Washington Ag Today September 18, 2009 The board of the National Association of Wheat Growers recently changed its position on climate change legislation. NAWG had supported the House passed bill.

Washington Association of Wheat Growers President Britt Ausman says the national position now is that if a cap and trade system does not provide a net benefit to producers NAWG will not support it.

Ausman: “And I believe that falls at least more closely in line with what Washington farmers want and or need to adapt to a program. We can‘t go out and support a system that is going to have a negative impact on our producers, and as the system now stands it would have a negative impact. So, until something changes or they develop a program that is a positive net benefit for producers, they are just going to have to keep working on a new program.”

What about the USDA study Secretary Vilsack says shows farmers will benefit long term?

Ausman: “ A lot of that is speculation and looking into the future. I believe that is a selling point the is trying to use and doesn‘t have a lot of fact to back that up.”

NAWG CEO Daren Coppock told a Washington Grain Commission meeting by video conference this week that health care and financial system reform are legislative priorities ahead of cap and trade and Congress may not have a bill passed by the time of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.

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