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Thaemert Testifies Before House Committee in WashingtonA Kansas wheat producer told a Congressional Committee in Washington this morning that the 2002 Farm Bill has not worked well for the nation's wheat farmers. John Thaemert, who farms near Sylvan Grove in Lincoln County, and who is serving as President of the National Association of wheat Growers, made his comments in testimony before the House Committee on Agriculture's General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Sub-Committee this morning. Thaemert outlined the failures in the 2002 Farm Bill, and what the nation's wheat producers need in the 2007 farm legislation. He pointed out that wheat growers have received no benefits from the loan deficiency payment and only tiny benefits from the counter-cyclical payment that were key parts of the 2002 Farm Bill. Thaemert described the details of the 2007 NAWG Farm Bill Proposal for wheat that was approved by the NAWG board last October after months of study and planning. He discussed the proposed increase in the wheat direct payment to $1.19, and an increase in the wheat target price to $5.29. He said these key issues were being strongly recommended after the NAWG Board of Directors conducted a close examination of input costs over a lengthy period, and what affordable levels of crop insurance can provide. In a statement from the National Association of wheat Growers this morning, Thaemert is quoted as saying, "This safety net failure has hurt many wheat growers." And, he said, "By providing a safety net to wheat growers of $1.19 per bushel in the form of a direct payment, federal farm policy can assure growers, their families, and their bankers that they have a predictable and dependable safety net." Thaemert discussed Farm Bill matters Tuesday when he was the featured speaker at the annual luncheon at the Mid-America Farm Expo in Salina. He said that common public misconception is that the farm legislation costs the taxpayers a lot of money, He told the gathering, "When somebody tells you that the Farm Bill is costing us way too much, that food security just isn't worth it, that we would be better off buying it from overseas, just quote them these statistics. It is not even a dime per household per day that supports the best food production infrastructure in the world." In his comments before the House Ag Subcommittee this morning, Thaemart also outlined several additional issues of major importance to the nation's wheat growers. He pointed out that NAWG opposes any type of means-testing to establish eligibility for federal farm programs and supports creating a separate market classification for Hard White Wheat. Thaemert is a former President of the Kansas Association of wheat Growers. Thaemert's full testimony is available on the National Association of wheat Growers internet website at http://www.wheatworld.org/html/info.cfm?ID=19. http://www.kansaswheat.org, http://www.wheatonline.com
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