04/18/07 Wheat Summit Two this week

Farm and Ranch April 18, 2007 The National Association of Wheat Growers and the North American Miller's Association are sponsoring the Second Wheat Summit in Kansas City this week. The Wheat Summit is bringing representatives from all segments of the wheat industry together. Daren Coppock, CEO of the National Association fof Wheat Growers recaps the first summit that was held last September. Coppock: "Wheat we were trying to do was number one, acquaint all the sectors together because we hadn't worked together in a very structured way before. And secondly see if everybody agreed that there were some strategic, critical long term issues that are facing the industry in the area of competitiveness both competing with other crops and just competing for market share globally. And if there were some things the industry ought to do together to address those challenges." And Coppock says this week's summit picks up where the first one left off. Coppock: "We left the first Wheat Summit and formed four different work groups that involve people from all the sectors. And each one of those work groups is going to come back to the Wheat Summit this week and suggest recommendations to the whole group in the areas of farm policy, the area of domestic competitiveness, in exports, transportation and infrastructure and in science and technology. If there are things behind those four broad subject areas that the whole industry can unite behind to improve our competitive situation." Reporters are scheduled to hear the results of the second summit during a teleconference Thursday. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.