From NASS Snowy days gave way to warmer conditions and melting snow in much of Washington. Fields in western Washington started to dry out, and field work started. Most fall-planted crops around the Puget Sound survived the winter in good condition while spring crops had not yet been planted. Grass was green and growing. Vegetable growers were tilling fields and ... Read More »

From Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Yesterday was the 71st day of the 2019 Legislative Session. The next major deadline is Wednesday, April 3. That is the opposite chamber policy cutoff, where policy bills from the opposite chamber have to be voted out of policy committee to stay alive. One of the primary tasks of legislators during a long session (odd years) ... Read More »

by Dr. Xianming Chen This unusual winter appears over, and spring comes late but suddenly. Based on the forecast models, we predict that stripe rust will potentially cause yield loss of 16 percent on highly susceptible varieties. This level is much lower than the 38 percent forecasted in January due to the cold February. Based the current forecast, stripe rust will likely ... Read More »

By Steve Mercer, USW Vice President of Communications No two wheat fields in the world are alike. The fact is, there can be wide variations within a field or even a very small sections of a field. Not that long ago, farmers had limited ability to change production strategies in ways that more directly correlated with this natural variability. Now, ... Read More »

From the National Association of Wheat Growers As floods pummel through the Midwest, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) extends its support and consideration to those farmers and ranchers who are facing the devastating aftermath. As growers work to pull through, NAWG calls for state and federal governments to use all resources available to help those impacted. “Our hearts ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist March 19 marked the 64th day of the 2019 Legislative Session. On March 13, the Legislature reached a milestone—the deadline to pass bills out of the house of origin. Bills that did not meet that deadline are ineligible to move forward this year unless considered necessary to implement the budget. It is important to note, ... Read More »

From U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) welcome the recent announcement by President Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro that Brazil has agreed to implement a duty-free tariff rate quota (TRQ) for wheat, a longstanding obligation under Brazil’s World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments. This ... Read More »

From world-grain.com Ambassador Gregg Doud, chief agricultural negotiator, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, briefed members of the National Grain and Feed Association on March 17 on what he called an extraordinary period of engagement with other nations about adjusting policies and terms of trade. Doud addressed the U.S.-China trade talks, the importance of ratifying the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), efforts ... Read More »

From the Capital Press The Seattle Democrat who introduced a bill that linked Washington farmers to slavery said Friday she was surprised by the strong negative reaction. Sen. Rebecca Saldana said she was tying to draw attention to the worldwide problem of human trafficking. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

A nationwide economic impact study found that more than one-fifth of the nation’s economy is linked, either directly or indirectly, to the food and agriculture sectors. Further, it found that more than one-fourth of all American jobs are similarly connected. This research, available at www.FeedingTheEconomy.com, was commissioned by a group of 23 food and agriculture organizations. Among the most important findings: Total Jobs:​ ... Read More »