• Submitted by: manso
• Business and Economy
• 09 / 16 / 2010

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Updated: Sep 15, 2010 9:52 AM. Members of the Montana Farmers Union have been in Washington D.C. this week to talk about agricultural and economic issues with legislators and their peers from around the country.

Among the issues the MFU wants to highlight during their visit are marketplace competition, estate-tax relief, the recent wolf delisting controversy, and crop insurance availability for oil seed crops such as camelina.

Another hot topic is expanding trade with Cuba.

On Tuesday, MFU member Justin Downs explained, "We trade right now a little bit, about $270-million dollars worth, which is a very small piece of the pie that we could have...they're 90 miles away...and they have a huge demand."

Also on Tuesday, the National Farmer's Union presented Senator Jon Tester with the Golden Triangle Award for his leadership as an advocate for agriculture and rural America. Representative Denny Rehberg and Senator Max Baucus are scheduled to also receive the honor on Wednesday.

Farmers Union Representatives present the award annually, and say this years' recipients were selected for their leadership on a variety of issues, including the farm bill and energy and climate issues.

By Heath Heggem (KRTV)

Source: http://www.krtv.com/news/mt-farmers-union-urges-more-cuba-trade/