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Wheat farmer and committee say food aid should stay

Leaders of the House Agriculture committee disagree with President Trump’s proposed elimination of two U.S.-based international food aid programs in the next Farm Bill. Chairman Mike Conaway of Texas says to eliminate the programs is “short-sighted” but Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program do need to be looked at, “I recognize, as the president does, that there are efficiencies to be gained within our food aid and ag development programs.”

Ranking member Collin Peterson of Minnesota says the current farm bill made those programs better, “I would urge the administration and members of Congress to consider today’s testimony and to look to the work that we did as part of the last Farm Bill to improve these programs when considering potential budget cuts.”

Kansas Wheat Farmer Ron Suppeson, behalf of U.S. Wheat Associates, says this country has enough surplus that no one in the world should go hungry, “Food aid continues to matter. In the long term, it helps generate good will in other countries, a sentiment I saw first-hand in Tanzania.” Suppes was in that African nation to visit “Food for Progress” programs. He says recipient countries aren’t looking for charity and because they are getting food aid AND help producing their own food, they can become stronger trading partners in the future.