From Agri-Pulse The Trans-Pacific Partnership would reduce the U.S. trade deficit and increate jobs throughout the country, but some of the biggest gains would be for the agriculture sector, according to a U.S. International Trade Commission report released Wednesday evening. The report concludes that if the TPP were implemented agricultural exports would rise by about $7.2 billion per year by 2032. Imports ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Agriculture groups are nervous that a “technical report” released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be used to justify new federal controls over water usage. The EPA claims its report — “Protecting Aquatic Life from Effects of Hydrologic Alteration” — is meant to provide state regulators with “technical support” about the impact of water ... Read More »

For the week ending May 15 Washington state crops ahead of schedule and livestock are thriving There were 6.0 days suitable for field work. Pasture conditions were reported as 6 % poor, 17% fair, 52% good and 25% excellent. Temperatures throughout the state ranged from 32 degrees Fahrenheit in the central region to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the southeast region, ... Read More »

It was a mixed agenda at the most recent meeting of the Washington State Department of Ecology’s (Ecology) Agriculture and Water Quality Advisory Committee in Airway Heights at the end of March. Topics discussed ranged from frivolous complaints and nonpoint pollution plan funding to Ecology’s intent to send warning letters to some southeast Washington producers. Kelly Susewind, Ecology special assistant, ... Read More »

From the Capital Press The region’s wheat variety trial crop tour season kicks off May 25 with the Columbia County, Wash., conservation tour and runs through July 14, wrapping up with tours in St. John and Lamont. For the most part, crop conditions look good, said Ryan Higginbotham, Washington State University Extension regional specialist for cereal variety testing. Read the ... Read More »

From the Capital Press In a crowded gymnasium at Skyline High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders espoused his many positions for more than an hour on a long list of issues. “We’re doing something pretty radical in American politics. We’re telling the truth!” the Vermont senator shouted over the cheers of raucous supporters during the ... Read More »

For the week ending May 8 Washington state crops ahead of schedule and crop conditions were great There were 6.2 days suitable for work. Pasture conditions were reported as 6 % poor, 17% fair, 57% good and 20% excellent. Temperatures throughout the state ranged from 36 degrees in the central and southeast regions to 91 degrees in the southeast region, ... Read More »

By Xianming Chen Stripe rust has been spreading and developing quickly since the last update on April 13. The disease is now everywhere in the Pacific Northwest. When we took the early season note at Mount Vernon in Skagit County in northwestern Washington on April 18, stripe rust reached 60 percent severity on susceptible winter wheat varieties, as usual for ... Read More »

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the enrollment of more than 800,000 acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Washington state enrolled a total of 120,530 acres, second only to Iowa, which enrolled 128,212 acres. “The Conservation Reserve Program provides nearly $2 billion annually to land owners—dollars that make their way into local economies, supporting small businesses ... Read More »

From the Capital Press A campaign funded by the Environmental Protection Agency to sway Washington legislators apparently went unnoticed during the 2016 session, but it’s getting unflattering attention now. The chairmen of the Senate and House agriculture committees Tuesday criticized the What’s Upstream advocacy campaign, saying it reinforced negative views of the EPA as an overreaching agency. Read the rest ... Read More »