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2008 Policy Book
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Wheat plays an important role in Michigan's economy with annual planted acreage of over one-half million acres. The agribusiness community adds nearly $1.5 billion in value to the wheat crop after it leaves Michigan's farms. Wheat 20/20 is a program through Michigan State University (MSU) designed to improve the profitability of producing wheat through greater communication between producers, university representatives, the milling industry and end-users. We support Wheat 20/20 and encourage wheat producers to actively participate in this program. We support research by MSU to address producer-identified research priorities and traits important to end users, along with disease resistance when selecting new varieties for release, with less emphasis on yield performance.
We encourage the continued coordination of industry-related needs with research priorities and processor requirements ultimately leading to profitability within the wheat industry. Michigan Farm Bureau should take the leadership role in re-energizing this effort.
We commend the establishment of the Eastern Soft White Wheat Council, which is made up of end users, millers, and elevators with a vested interest in white wheat with goals to advance research and breeding for the common good of growers, millers, and end users by creating an endowment for program activity of the MSU wheat breeder.
