The North Dakota Grain Growers Association has voted to withdraw from the National Association of Wheat Growers. Association President Jeff Mertz says the decision came after nearly three years of negotiations with NAWG as they did not feel they were being represented fairly on policy in Washington D.C.

He says an example is during the 2008 Farm Bill discussions Mertz says NAWG failed to lobby to get a quality loss provision included in the crop insurance program because it did not impact the southern wheat producing states.

Mertz also cited return on investment as a reason they left NAWG as they pay a substantial amount annually in membership dues. They felt they could better represent themselves lobbying and have hired an individual to carry out their policy priorities.

Mertz refuted suggestions that the parting of the two organizations came after hard feelings about the outcome of the national NAWG election some six years ago.

He says the North Dakota Grain Growers Association has been paying only half of their membership dues since 2016, when they first made the decision based on the drought cutting production and acreage. They wanted to continue that practice this year to allow time for negotiations, but the NAWG board voted it down.

He says they are open to rejoining NAWG in the future if the problems can be worked out.