The California Association of Wheat Growers (CAWG) along with
other agricultural organizations are asking our respective
members to fill out the attached questionnaire regarding
self-propelled off-road agricultural equipment that is 25 hp or
greater. Please complete this survey and return it no later than
December 31, 2009 to your primary agricultural association at
the address listed below. Other agricultural organizations are
also conducting this survey so only provide this information
once; do not send the completed survey to more than one
agricultural association.
We are requesting your input regarding the agricultural
equipment you own or lease for two reasons.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is planning on
developing a rule for agricultural equipment in 2010; the
rule will be developed with stakeholder input with staff
planning to bring the measure to the Board for a vote in
late 2010. A survey or inventory of what equipment is out
there and how it's operating is a key step in getting a fair
rule which will begin our effort to negotiate a rule that
provides air quality improvements while taking into full
account the significant cost impact to agricultural users.
There are several programs in California that promote
improvement of air quality by providing grants to replace
older equipment with newer equipment. CAWG leadership would
like to explore whether the association could "bundle" grant
applications on behalf of our members instead of each
individuals having to go through the application process.
We also believe that the granting agencies would be
interested in single applications as well. This survey, in
general will give us a good idea of the numbers, types and
usage of equipment in our facilities.
We will remove your contact information the questionnaire before
the data is submitted to the California State University, Fresno
Foundation who will be compiling the data for CARB. All
information provided to the Foundation is confidential and
cannot be accessed by any private or public request. CAWG will
give each survey respondent an identification number in the box
on the top right corner of the survey. In the rare instance
that clarification is needed, the Foundation will contact CAWG.
We'll then contact you to get further explanation.
In every step of the survey process your personal contact
information will remain confidential and protected and will not
be shared with the Fresno Foundation nor the State of
California.
If you have questions contact Jane Townsend at 916-492-7066 or
email at jtownsend@cgfa.org or tad Bell at 916-716-2317 or tbell@veloconsulting.com.
Please complete only the one form appropriate for your operation
and business.
We're assuming that you'll be filling out the Grower Survey.
There's also a "First Processor" form intended to be only
completed by first processors of agricultural products. A
detailed definition is found on the survey form.
Please return your survey no later than
December 31, 2009 to the
address or fax below. If you'd like a self addressed envelope
please contact Donna.
California Association of Wheat
Growers 1521 "I" Street Sacramento, California 95814 Fax Number: (916) 446-1063
If you'd like to fill out a hard
copy of the grower survey
CLICK HERE (if you're getting this in the mail or fax
a copy is attached).
If you'd like to fill out a hard
copy of the first processors survey
CLICK HERE.
The California Farm Bureau Federation has graciously made their
computer technology available to other associations. If you'd
like to fill out either the grower, first processor or custom
harvester survey electronically,
CLICK HERE (just below the contact information make sure you
indicate your with the California Association of Wheat Growers).
House Approves Bill Extending
2009 Estate Tax Provisions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The House of Representatives
voted 225 to 200 on Thursday
to extend 2009 estate tax
law into 2010 and beyond.
The tax is set to expire at
the first of the year and
come back in 2011 at a
higher rate. The bill passed
Thursday, H.R. 4154, would
install permanently 2009's
exemption of $3.5 million
per person and the 45
percent tax rate, without an
index for inflation.
It is unclear how the
politics or timing of this
issue will play out in the
Senate.
Earlier in the year, the
Senate endorsed as part of
its budget resolution a
proposal from Sen. Jon Kyl
(R-Ariz.) and Senate
Agriculture Committee
Chairman Blanche Lincoln
(D-Ark.) that would include
a $5 million exemption and
make 35 percent the top
rate.
Regardless of whether or not
that proposal could again
gain support, the health
care debate is unlikely to
stop for the estate tax or
other time-sensitive issues.
In light of this, there is
some talk of tacking a
one-year extension of the
tax onto an omnibus
appropriations bill to avoid
the measure's expiration.
The California Association
of Wheat Growers and 90
other organizations
including NAWG signed onto a
letter sent Monday asking
House leaders to consider
H.R. 3524, which would
exclude farm assets from
estate taxes for as long as
the property remains as a
family agricultural
operation.
In the letter, addressed to
Speaker of the House Nancy
Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House
Minority Leader John Boehner
(R-Ohio), the groups
expressed general support
for estate tax reform and
told them "it is essential
that Congress additionally
deal with the unique
problems that farmers and
forest owners face with
generational family
transition."
The estate tax has been
historically burdensome for
family farming operations
with the majority of asset
value tied up in land. The
groups told Pelosi and
Boehner that by 2011, one in
10 farm estates would be hit
by the tax.
NAWG policy calls for a $10
million maximum on which no
estate tax would be paid.
House Ag Looks at Costs, Benefits of
Climate Change Bill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The House Agriculture Committee's
Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit,
Energy and Research held two hearings
this week to look at the costs and
benefits agriculture can expect from
climate change legislation and a
cap-and-trade program like that included
in a House-passed version.
The panel heard primarily from
economists from around the country with
deep backgrounds in agriculture,
including from USDA's Chief Economist
Dr. Joseph Glauber, who testified at
both hearings.
Glauber concluded in his second day of
testimony that the ability to generate
and sell offsets would provide income
"which would more than compensate" for
lost income due to higher energy prices
with projected higher commodity prices.
Glauber's written testimony provided
more detail than previously issued by
USDA, including projected sources and
revenue of offsets; annual offset
revenue by region; national changes in
land use; and crop production and price
impacts on specific commodities.
For wheat, the scenario considered
showed relatively little change in
production until after 2045 and somewhat
larger changes in price - a projected
five cent per bushel drop in 2015 and 15
cent per bushel drop in 2020, but a 14
cent per bushel increase in 2030 and 55
cent per bushel increase in 2050.
Dr. Joe Outlaw from the Agricultural and
Food Policy Center at Texas A&M
University testified that of his group's
11 representative wheat farms, eight
would have higher ending cash reserves
under a cap-and-trade scenario relative
to the baseline. While 17 of 25
feedgrain or oilseed farms also showed
higher ending cash reserves, cotton,
dairy and cattle operations did not fare
well across the board.
Despite the extensive analysis and
testimony, the only firm conclusion was
that the real costs or benefits are
largely unknown, though there was
general agreement that the cost of doing
nothing and likely regulation would
exceed the cost of legislation.
By way of example, Outlaw testified that
his organization has been doing policy
analysis for Congress for almost 30
years and has never had to make as many
assumptions in order to complete their
work.
USDA Releases Draft of New Crop Insurance Agreement
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) released on Friday the first
draft of a proposed new Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA) for
the federal crop insurance program.
The 2008 Farm Bill authorized a rewriting of the SRA, which is
the agreement between the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and
the crop insurance companies that serve farmers throughout the
country.
A number of issues are at stake in the SRA process, including
the handling of administrative and operating reimbursement rates
that, if cut inappropriately, could affect the level of coverage
and service producers experience.
USDA said the release of the draft follows months of preparatory
discussions and a review of historical rates of return from crop
insurance by an outside firm.
RMA will be meeting with companies to discuss the first draft
next week. The goal is to finalize the agreement by April 1 in
order to give the companies time to sign it prior to the
beginning of the 2011 reinsurance year, which begins July 1,
2010.
NAWG will continue to engage with both the Administration and
crop insurance providers to ensure that the finalized agreement
does not negatively affect program delivery to wheat producers.
NAWG will also continue to advocate needed changes to crop
insurance audit procedures through this process.
How would you prefer to receive the CAWG newsletter
(publication twice/month):
_________Email
____________Fax
___________Mail
Please return this form to: CAWG, 1521 I Street,
Sacramento, CA 95814
If you have questions, please call us (916) 492-7066 or email
wheatgrowers@aol.com
California Association of Wheat Growers (CAWG) keeps you informed about the
political issues, pending regulations, and market changes affecting your ability
to farm.
KEEPING
YOU IN BUSINESS
We are your advocate, fighting for your interests in actions taken by
Congress, the California Legislature, and state and federal agencies on price
supports, trade agreements, environmental and business regulations, water
policy, and other actions that affect your bottom line.
WORKING
WITH WHEAT AND OTHER AGRICULTURE GROUPS NATIONWIDE
CAWG works closely with the California Wheat Commission
and other organizations.But we need a strong membership base and dues support to anticipate and
influence the issue affecting California wheat growers in production, marketing
and consumption of wheat.Your dues
assist the National Association of Wheat Growers in Washington, and we work with
other states’ wheat associations on common issues.
