Washington’s wheat farmers are pushing back on President Donald Trump’s budget proposal that once again proposes cuts to crop insurance programs.
The Washington Association of Wheat Growers, which represents farmers statewide, has released multiple statements this week critical of the Trump budget, which it says will cut crop insurance and other safety net programs by $47 billion over the next decade.
That’s in addition to fears the administration’s move to pull the United States from a multinational trade pact with Asian countries will lead other nations, such as Australia and Canada, to move in on Palouse wheat’s market share in Japan.
Key lawmakers on Capitol Hill signaled this week that Trump’s proposed cuts to agriculture programs likely wouldn’t survive congressional scrutiny, including negotiations on a new federal farm bill. The current law is scheduled to expire in September.
Trump’s plan achieves reduction in federal spending on crop insurance by reducing the amount of income an individual farmer or business can make and still buy insurance or be eligible for certain conservation programs. It also would reduce the discounts on crop insurance premiums for growers, and wheat growers say that while it would save the government $22 billion through 2028, it would also render coverage unaffordable for many farmers.
The Washington Association of Wheat Growers plans to work with U.S Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and the region’s other lawmakers to revise Trump’s budget proposal to maintain the insurance program. (Spokesman-Review)
