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California Association of Wheat Growers (CAWG)

October 16, 2007

2005-2007 CROP LOSS DISASTER PROGRAM.  Attached to this update is general information recently released by the USDA’s California Farm Service Agency’s Office in regards to the 2005-2007 Crop Loss Disaster Program.   If there are particular issues that are of concern, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our office.

USDA PRESENTS DISCOVERY AWARD TO DR. JORGE DUBCOVSKY.  A great friend of the California Wheat Industry, Dr. Jorge Dubcovsky at the University of California-Davis was recognized by the USDA with presentation of the 2007 USDA National Research Initiative (NRI) Discovery Award.   He was honored for his genetics research in enhancing the nutritional value of wheat.

Dr. Dubcovsky and Dr. Tzion Fahima, at the University of Haifa, cloned a gene that controls levels of protein, iron and zinc in wheat.  They designated the cloned gene GPC-B1 for its effect on grain protein content. GPC-B1 accelerates grain maturity and increases grain protein and micronutrient content by 10 to 15 percent in the wheat varieties studied so far.

They also found that all commercial pasta and bread wheat varieties analyzed so far have a nonfunctional copy of the GPC gene, suggesting the gene was lost during the domestication of wheat. Reintroducing the functional gene into commercial wheat varieties could increase their nutritional value.

The NRI Discovery Award highlights exceptional scientific and economic impacts of NRI-funded projects and recognizes outstanding researchers in agriculture who have supported the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) mission the. NRI, the largest peer reviewed competitive grants program in CSREES, supports research, extension and education grants that address key problems of national, regional and multi-state importance in all components of agriculture.

AG GROUPS FILE BRIEF AGAINST EPA DUST REGULATIONS.  Four national agricultural groups have filed a joint brief in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals urging the court to review an Environmental Protection Agency rule the groups say has no basis in law or science. The groups contend EPA erred in its dust regulation rule by including regulation of agricultural sources.  

American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman says tilling the soil and traveling dirt roads to reach pastures and fields naturally can generate dust, especially in dry areas. The brief argues that EPA’s own findings before the rule was published stated that dust in rural areas did not pose any public health risk. Joining Farm Bureau in filing the brief was the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council, and Agricultural Retailers Association.

NAWG AND OTHER AG GROUPS WRITE PRESIDENT ON IMPORTANCE OF MARKET ACCESS.  NAWG and several other commodity groups sent a letter last week to President George W. Bush regarding the need for improved market access during negotiations at the Doha Development Round.  The letter read, in part:

“Correcting the severe imbalance reflected in the current agriculture text between sharp reductions and limitations on domestic support for U.S. agriculture and undefined or far weaker commitments on market access by our trading partners in a significant and substantive manner is essential to secure the support of American agriculture.

“In our letter to you of June 1, 2006, we made clear that the level of ambition in cutting trade distorting domestic support must be commensurate with the level of ambition in obtaining access to both developed and developing country markets. Unfortunately, the current text for the agriculture negotiations proposes to further reduce while the ranges for overall tariff cuts are set lower than those proposed by the United States. Even more troubling, the current agriculture text does not address key measures that could seriously erode any market access gains.

“Our current assessment is that, unless very significant improvements are made in each of these areas, the text offers little hope of achieving balance between what the U.S. is being asked to give up in reduced domestic.”

The letter came as negotiators returned to Geneva this week for further discussions on the Doha Round.  Other organizations sending the letter included: the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Cotton Council, the American Soybean Association, the National Corn Growers Association, the National Milk Producers Federation, the American Sugar Alliance, the National Sorghum Producers, the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, the National Barley Growers Association, the USA Rice Federation and the U.S. Canola Association.

FARM BILL, SENATE MARK-UP.   The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee has announced that the committee will begin mark up of draft legislation that would reauthorize federal farm programs during the week of October 22^nd, possibly as early as October 23^rd. 

The Senate Finance Committee considered and approved a $16 billion farm bill-related tax package last week.  The legislation, known as the Heartland, Habitat, Harvest and Horticulture Act of 2007, was approved by a vote of 17-4. 

The package includes provisions for the creation of a permanent Agriculture Disaster Relief Trust Fund that would provide payments to farmers and ranchers who suffer losses in USDA-declared disaster areas, in addition to conservation and energy incentives and a number of revenue raisers. Amendments were adopted by the Committee to increase the tax credit for cellulosic ethanol by 17 cents per gallon; to provide a shorter depreciation period for energy efficient motors used on farms; and to extend the length of the cellulosic ethanol tax credit.

Overall, the package should provide about $3 billion in additional funds for use by the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee when it begins its work