Agricultural News
National Farmers Union Delegates Set Policy- AFR Influences Several Key Issues Important to Oklahoma
Thu, 10 Mar 2016 21:06:13 CST
The 2016 National Farmers Union Convention held in Minneapolis has come to a close. Delegates to the National Farmers Union 114th Annual Meeting adopted a wide variety of policy positions- including ten special orders of business which NFU has utilzied down through the years to emphasize certain issues. One such Special Order of Business had to do with Cottonseed being designated as an "other oilseed" for purposes of the federal farm safety net. The NFU delegates approved the special order supporting that view, and Oklahoma delegate Harvey Schroeder of Frederick was pleased that NFU delegates were supportive. Schroeder says while USDA Secertary Vilsack has refused to make the declaration about cottonseed, he believes it is important to keep some pressure on the Secretary and he believes this special order accomplishes that. Click here to read the NFU Special Order on Cottonseed.
Oklahoma's NFU affiliate is the American Farmers and Ranchers, and AFR is the largest state affiliate of the national organization (Pictured here are AFR delgates Steve Thompson, Terry Detrick and Paul Jackson working during policy consideration). According to AFR's Steve Thompson, there were two other areas that Oklahoma weighed in and was successful in influencing the final result. Thompson says that AFR argued for a strong stance by NFU in opposition to the Clean Water Rule that was released last year by EPA and is currently being battled by States and several other Farm Organizations in the courts. Thompson says it was gratifying to have NFU go on record in opposition to WOTUS.
The other issue that AFR argued for was the NFU position on labeling of GMO products. There was a movement by several NFU delegates to push for mandatory labeling, but thanks to North Dakota and Oklahoma, the two largest state affiliates, NFU is on record to support "voluntary" GMO laebling. Kansas also supported "voluntary".
You can hear Steve Thompson and Harvey Schroeder with comments on these issues by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below- Ron Hays overs an overview with Steve and Harvey, with their comments supplied by Sam Knipp of the AFR staff.
To review all of the Special Orders of Business adopted by the 136 delegates to the National Farmers Union meeting this week, click on the name of each issue below:
Family Farming and Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL)
Family Farming and Trade Policy
Family Farming and Cotton
Family Farming and the Current Farm Bill
Family Farming and ARC-County Payments
Family Farming and Animal Disease Protection and Research
Family Farming and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
Family Farming and Future Farm Bills
Family Farming and Leading the Way on Climate Change
Resolution Establishing an NFU Dairy Price Committee & Campaign
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Top Agricultural News
More Headlines...