2011 Policy Resolutions

Kansas Wheat’s Agricultural Policy Action Committee is charged with monitoring international, national, state and local legislative and regulatory policies which affect agriculture and Kansas wheat producers. The APAC committee then forwards policy recommendations to members for discussion and potential adoption. Below are resolutions that were adopted by the membership of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers at their annual meeting in July, 2011.

1. The KAWG opposes any type of means testing to establish eligibility for, or restrict participations in, Federal Farm Programs.

2. The KAWG opposes further reductions in farm program payment limitations.

3. The KAWG recognizes the need to reduce the federal deficit and for a sustainable federal budget. However, the KAWG opposes budgetary reductions which disproportionately affect agriculture.

4. Further, the KAWG believes agriculture should receive credit for contributions already made to deficit reduction since the 2008 farm bill.

5. The KAWG supports a production agriculture safety net based on multiple federal agriculture programs, including, but not limited to; direct payments, crop insurance and conservation programs. The KAWG recognizes farming operations have differing needs and there is not one-size-fits all federal program which can provide that safety net.

6. The KAWG believes decisions regarding changes in the farm safety net should be made in the context of the 2012 farm bill by the House and Senate Agriculture committees.

7. The KAWG opposes the creation of a value added tax at any level of government.

8. The KAWG supports the current agricultural sales tax exemptions for inputs, new and used farm machinery, farm equipment, grain storage, parts, repairs and service.

9. The KAWG supports a long-term resolution regarding the estate tax, as it is necessary to effectively create a succession plan and preserve family farming operations.

10. The KAWG supports continued monitoring of foreign and domestic compliance with multi-lateral and bi-lateral trade agreements.

11. The KAWG opposes increased reliance on property taxes for the funding of K-12 education.

12. The KAWG supports fair and open trade of wheat throughout the world.

13. KAWG supports the advancement of comprehensive, multi-lateral and bi-lateral negotiations to expand trade in goods and services.

14. KAWG opposes the use of any federally mandated total maximum daily load (TMDL) requirements. KAWG recognizes the importance of protecting bodies of water from nutrient and sediment loadings and supports voluntary measures, including conservation programs to achieve desired environmental goals, but opposes EPA efforts to impose mandatory and enforceable requirements for non-point sources of pollution from agricultural lands. KAWG supports the collection of data from ongoing voluntary conservation reserve practices to ensure that state and federal agencies have a more accurate accounting of water quality impacts from agriculture.

15. The KAWG recognizes the important roles the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Funding play in the international marketing of wheat. The KAWG supports funding of these programs at a minimum at FY 2011 levels.

16. The KAWG supports the current implementation of use-value appraisal with regards to property taxes and opposes any modifications which would negatively impact agriculture.