The association brings the voice of the milling industry to D.C.
North American Millers’ Association (NAMA) members were in Washington, D.C. for the annual NAMA fly-in just as long-awaited next steps for the farm bill became more clear. Millers were on Capitol Hill on May 1 when House Agriculture Committee Chair GT Thompson (R-PA) released an overview of his committee’s 2024 farm bill draft. That same day, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) unveiled a summary of the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, Senate Democrats’ farm bill provisions.
During the fly-in, representatives from 14 NAMA member companies participated in a total of 58 meetings with congressional offices, including key members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and appropriators. Conversations with lawmakers and their staffs focused on farm bill priorities, including increasing investments in federal wheat, corn, and oat research and advocating for the American Farmers Feed the World Act to allow U.S. international food aid programs Food for Peace and the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust to more efficiently feed more people facing famine emergencies.
NAMA members with Rep. Tracey Mann (center), lead sponsor of the American Farmers Feed the World Act.
Photo courtesy of NAMA.
Millers’ Voices Heard
“NAMA’s annual fly-in was an extremely timely opportunity to bring the milling industry’s collective voice to Capitol Hill,” said NAMA Vice President of Government Affairs Kim Cooper. “During the fly-in, policymakers heard firsthand from millers in their districts and states about the importance of investing in grain research and opportunities to strengthen U.S. international food aid programs in the farm bill.”
Notably for millers, the House farm bill draft would prioritize U.S. commodities in international food aid programs, which help feed millions of people each year around the world. During the fly-in, NAMA members also had the opportunity to participate in an international food aid showcase hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. NAMA members displayed the products they create that help feed people across the globe every day.
In the next farm bill, NAMA also supports increasing the authorization for wheat and barley Fusarium Head Blight (scab) research from $15 million to $20 million to support the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI). NAMA also leads advocacy during the annual appropriations cycles for grains research including USWBSI, the Wheat Resiliency Initiative, and genetic oat research, and international food aid programs.
What’s Next
Questions still remain about the outlook for the next five-year farm bill, which is currently due to be reauthorized by September 2024. The House Agriculture Committee held a markup of its version of the legislation on May 23.
While key differences remain between Republican and Democrat priorities in the farm bill, particularly related to SNAP (food stamp) and conservation programs, bipartisan support will ultimately be needed for passage.
While leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees remain committed to passing a farm bill, it is unclear how the looming elections this fall and limited time window for action in D.C. will impact lawmakers’ ability to complete the farm bill this year.
“We would love to see a bipartisan farm bill cross the finish line in 2024. This legislation impacts the milling value chain in many ways as the cornerstone of federal farm policy,” said NAMA President Jane DeMarchi. “As the farm bill process continues, NAMA remains engaged on important priorities that reflect its role as the indispensable link between raw grain and food.”
Learn more. More information about NAMA’s policy priorities is available online at
namamillers.org/our-priorities.
Millers will next have the opportunity to advocate on June 26-27 during the 2024 NAMA D.C. Experience. This program for interns and early career professionals in the milling industry highlights how the government operates and the role NAMA plays for the industry in D.C.