Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh Entertains and Informs Tri-State Grain Growers

I always enjoy hearing what Kansas State University Ag Economist Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh has to say … he spoke to a well attended Tri-State Grain Growers session on Friday. And as usual — what he had to say was informative and entertaining.
In discussion on the 2014 Farm Bill, Dr. Flinchbaugh said it is the most complicated Farm Bill ever written. One thing that we got right he said was not allowing the decoupling of the food programs from the Farm Bill. He shares what he sees as the next big challenge to agriculture.
Flinchbaugh: “The number one future issue now that the Farm Bill is at least partially to bed is immigration. You talk about misinformation! We are now already in this battle between the President who says he is going to issue an Executive Order and John Boehner and Mitch McConnell who say if you do, this government is going to reach gridlock again. They need to work together on it. We desperately need a permanent guest work program — especially a long-term worker program for the livestock industry.”
His thoughts on biotechnology.
Flinchbaugh: “Biotechnology. We’ve got two billion more people to feed. We can’t do it without genetic engineering. So if you are opposed to biotech — and that is one of the reasons why the wheat is behind the other commodities — if you are opposed to biotechnology you are in favor of starvation.”