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Oct. 13, 2025
Source: National Sorghum Producers Lubbock, TX -- This week, National Sorghum Producers brought grower leaders to Washington at one of the most critical moments in recent memory. From South Texas to South Dakota, our members took time away from harvest to make sure lawmakers understand what sorghum growers are facing right now: stalled trade, elevated input costs, and the urgency for biofuel policy and farmer aid. Your membership is what puts boots on the ground in D.C. When we show up together, we move policy. Thank you to every leader who traveled, walked the halls, and told the story of U.S. sorghum in person. We're grateful--and we're not letting up. Even with the federal government shut down, NSP's fly-in schedule was full. Our message was straightforward: trade access is make-or-break for sorghum right now, and growers need near-term relief while fair trade deals are negotiated. Our Core Messages •Trade, trade, trade. We pressed for concrete avenues to move sorghum--China, India, Vietnam, Mexico--and reminded every office: sorghum has been hit hardest by the current lack of purchases from China. We need market access and purchase commitments. •Biofuels/E-15. We urged durable year-round E-15 access and clear signals that keep plants running and basis supported across the Sorghum Belt. •Input costs and credit. Fertilizer, fuel and financing remain tight. We asked for tools that relieve cost pressure and keep operating credit available as growers plan '26. •Farmer aid timing. The White House indicated a farmer-aid "bridge" package is ready, but it cannot be announced or administered until the shutdown ends. We made sure every office understood the cash-flow squeeze on producers right now. •Shutdown impacts. With USDA offices and services curtailed, growers are seeing delays on loans and payments. We asked members to resolve funding promptly and prioritize continuity for farm programs. •Throughout the halls of congress, our leaders repeated the same theme in every room: we need markets moving and policy certainty--fast. Here are the Congress members NSP met with in Washington: The Senate Sen. John Boozman (R-Arkansas), chair of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies (Chair John Hoeven, R-North Dakota) The House of Representatives Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-South Dakota) Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) Rep. Tracey Mann (R-Kansas) House Agriculture Committee (Chair Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pennsylvania) Tweet |
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