It looks like the death tax is going to be really hard for Washington legislators to ignore. There are 31 ag groups making sure of it. They sent a letter to President Obama today “urging immediate, permanent and meaningful estate tax reform.” Anyone with a lick of common sense would know that if estate taxes are allowed to be reinstated at the beginning of the year there will be a huge negative impact on the industry let alone individuals. This goes for a lot of people outside the ag industry as well.

During the recent NAFB convention Trade Talk session this was one of the items that came up in my interview with Gregg Doud, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Chief Economist. Gregg is pictured here being interviewed at Trade Talk by Julie Harker of Brownfield while NCBA’s Mike Deering looks on in the background.

Listen to Gregg describe where things currently stand on the death tax issue: Gregg Doud on Death Tax

Keeping up the pressure, a number of ag groups will join with NCBA in a press conference tomorrow at 1pm EST.

Speaking on behalf of NCBA is Scott Bennett, a junior at Virginia Tech University and an active participant in his family’s operation, Knoll Crest Farm, in Red House, Va. The American Farm Bureau Federation; the American Soybean Association; the National Association of Wheat Growers; the National Corn Growers Association; the National Cotton Council; the National Farmers Union; the National Milk Producers Federation; the National Pork Producers Council; and the Public Lands Council will also participate in the news conference.

To watch the event live, go to NCBA’s policy blog at www.BeltwayBeef.com.