State, regional issues addressed at October board meeting

It was a back-to-business type of board meeting for the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) in October with updates on state and regional issues and the upcoming convention taking center stage.

The falling number (FN) issue is still on many growers’ minds, especially when it comes to the Risk Management Agency’s (RMA) reporting rules on FN discounts. WAWG’s Executive Director Michelle Hennings updated the board on the recent request to RMA to waive the reporting rules for low FN when no crop insurance claim is being made. Although the request had the backing of grower organizations, industry businesses, Congressional delegations and state agencies from Washington, Idaho and Oregon, RMA refused the request on the basis of not setting a precedent for an exemption on a specific commodity.

WAWG lobbyist Diana Carlen talked about the latest polling for I-732 (the carbon tax initiative) that shows many voters are still undecided on it. She explained that it isn’t usually a good sign for an initiative’s chances of passing to have so many people undecided this close to the election. She also talked about the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s (WSDA) expanded role in regulating the state’s marijuana industry, especially in regards to pesticides and organic certification. Marijuana is currently the #4 cash crop in the state. Carlen said WSDA has assured other ag groups that they won’t be cutting into other programs to pay for the increased pot activity.

The board also heard a report from Klickitat County grower Steve Matsen on a presentation he attended regarding regional climate change modeling being done at the University of Washington. The take away was that in the future, Washington would likely see increased precipitation, with more of it falling as rain instead of snow.

Speaking of moisture, most counties reported receiving an unusual amount of precipitation for the first few weeks of October. In most areas of Eastern Washington, winter wheat seeding was either done or well under way.

The next board meeting will be held during the 2016 Tri-State Grain Growers Convention, on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 9:30 a.m. at the Coeur d’Alene Resort in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. For a schedule of convention events, visit WAWG’s convention schedule page.