SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The National Farmers Union (NFU) 111th Anniversary Convention adjourned Tuesday afternoon in Springfield, Mass. The four-day event concluded with the delegates considering and adopting the organization’s policy for the next year.
“Farmers Union is truly a grassroots organization, and our policy adoption process is an example of the value of Americans’ right to free speech,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “The policy adopted by the delegates today is what will guide the advocacy work of our organization for the next year.”
Just as we do in Ohio at OFU’s annual convention, NFU also adopted several special orders of business which are topical, “of the moment” policy concerns. They include:
- The Dairy Crisis
- A New Five-Year Farm Bill
- Saturday Mail Delivery
- Argentina Foot and Mouth Disease Regionalization Plan
- Financial Institutions Facing Excessive Regulation
“The voices of family farmers, ranchers and fishermen and women have been heard,” said Johnson. “NFU will continue to work on behalf of the providers of our nation’s feed, fuel, food and fiber. As we head back to Washington, D.C., we have a very clear message to relay to Congress: a five-year farm bill must be completed as soon as possible to provide certainty and protection against multi-year price collapse.”
Delegates adopted policy favoring comprehensive reform of immigration laws in relation to agricultural workers. Existing NFU policy that supports conservation compliance requirements for federal crop insurance premium subsidy eligibility was reaffirmed. The body renewed its support for affordable healthcare, with an emphasis on disease prevention and access to nutritionally sound foods. Policy was put in place to address the challenges that small boat fishermen and women face.
Click here to read or download the entire 2013 NFU Policy document.
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