Senate Panel Seeks Suggestions From Farmers Hearing Will Give Growers A Chance To Present Ideas On How To Offset Low Prices

The U.S. government wants to know how it can help wheat farmers facing plunging prices.

That’s why Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, is hosting a Senate Committee hearing Aug. 13 in Lewiston.

As the value of Asian currencies dropped this year, so did U.S. grain exports, which in turn pushed down wheat prices. In the last marketing year ending May 31, soft white wheat sales to Asia dropped 14.6 percent from the year before, according to the Washington Wheat Commission.

Since the Pacific Northwest produces nearly 90 percent of the nation’s soft white wheat, the trend really hurts local economies. The decreased Asian exports this year have cost the region more than $58 million, the wheat commission said.

Members of congressional delegations for Washington, Idaho and Oregon or their representatives will attend next week’s hearing to meet with wheat growers and their associations and refine a plan of action.

“The associations requested this,” said Gretchen Borck, director of issues for the Washington Association of Wheat Growers. “It is an opportunity for farmers of the Pacific Northwest to voice their concerns over the recent farm crisis and other issues which impact their operation.”

“It’s going to give Congress an opportunity to hear directly from the producers,” she said.

Borck has been calling growers, hoping that they can take a day off from harvest for what she says is an important meeting.

Alex McGregor, president of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers and a wheat farmer, will join the hearing’s first panel to talk about the Endangered Species Act, Food Quality Protection Act and research. Mike Ricks, president of the Idaho Grain Producers Association and Judy Rea, Vice President of the Oregon Wheat Growers League, will join him to discuss the wheat growers’ political agenda.

Other agriculture and agri-business representatives slated to testify include members of the Idaho Cattle Association, the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council and Farm Credit Services.

The hearing results will be presented to members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

“They want to hear from these leaders what they believe needs to be done to start to push prices back up,” said Mike Tracy, spokesman for Sen. Craig.

Thursday’s hearing begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Red Lion Inn, 621 21st Street in Lewiston.