NAWG Testifies Before Senate Agriculture Committee During “Perspectives From the Field: Farmer and Rancher Views on the Agricultural Economy, Part 1” Hearing
Washington, D.C. (February 5, 2025) – Today, National Association of Wheat Growers President and Altus, OK wheat, cotton, and pasture-land farmer Keeff Felty testified before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry during the “Perspectives From the Field: Farmer and Rancher Views on the Agricultural Economy, Part 1” hearing.
“As I enter my 40th year in farming, the agricultural economy is facing a severe downturn the likes of which we haven’t seen since the early 1980’s. We know you understand these challenges, and NAWG greatly appreciates the hard work that leadership and committee members played in getting economic and disaster assistance signed into law this past December,” said Keeff Felty. “That assistance is much needed across all of agriculture. However, long-term improvements to the farm safety net must be included as this committee, and Congress work to reauthorize the farm bill this year.”
Felty opened by talking about the first-ever multi-commodity fly-in held in Washington, D.C., last year. Producers and staff from all the major commodity organizations, plus Farm Credit and the American Bankers Association, went to Capitol Hill in a united effort to highlight the financial pressure building across American agriculture and urged Congress to pass a robust farm bill that strengthens the farm safety net. Felty also emphasized NAWG’s number one Farm Bill priority is protecting the crop insurance program. In discussing crop insurance, Felty told a story about a devastating hailstorm that took out one of his wheat crops last year. Crop insurance helped his operation remain viable and remains his first line of defense against natural disasters.
Felty also discussed NAWG’s request for Congress to make a meaningful increase in the wheat PLC reference price. The current wheat PLC reference price hasn’t changed since the 2018 Farm Bill, while crop inputs have increased by about 30 percent. The cost of production is expected to remain elevated in 2025 at roughly $386 per acre for wheat, and according to USDA projections, a wheat farmer is expected to lose approximately $96 per acre. Felty also mentioned how wheat growers play a vital role in feeding the world. Over half of the wheat grown in the United States goes to international markets.
“Increased input costs, high interest rates, and depressed commodity prices have created significant challenges for farmers in rural America. When looking at the commodity-level changes in farm income, wheat growers experienced a 43 percent decrease in net cash farm income from 2023 to 2024. That marks the lowest level in the last 15 years,” said Felty. “These conditions underscore the need for a strong, robust, and meaningful farm bill that provides long-term certainty as we proceed into the 119th Congress.”
As Congress continues to have hearings on programs authorized under the 2018 Farm Bill, NAWG looks forward to working with the members to help craft a Farm Bill that helps wheat growers and rural America thrive.
Read Keeff Felty’s written testimony or watch the hearing.
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