From the Capital Press Mike Miller knows how important foreign trade is to agriculture. For him and Washington state’s 1,900 other wheat farmers, exports are the economic lifeblood. They ship more than 90 percent of their crop to overseas customers such as bakers in Japan and noodle manufacturers in the Philippines and South Korea. The customers were hard-won. “We realize ... Read More »

From U.S. Wheat Associates U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) welcome two trade dispute actions by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) challenging Chinese government policies that distort the wheat market and harm wheat growers throughout the rest of the world. USW and NAWG are encouraged to see the U.S. government take such a strong ... Read More »

From Washington Ag Network What are the key issues lawmakers in Olympia will discuss in January?  Ask state Rep. Tom Dent and he’ll tell you water issues, specifically, the Hirst decision will be front and center. Read the rest of the story here. Read More »

November was a very busy month for the Washington Association of Wheat Growers’ (WAWG) leadership team. Besides participating in the annual convention, including a day-long strategic planning session, the team also traveled to Denver, Colo., to take part in the National Association of Wheat Growers’ (NAWG) Fall Wheat Conference. Both NAWG’s and U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) policy committees met and ... Read More »

From NAWG This week, Congress is working to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) spending package to fund the government through April 28, 2017. As of this writing, the House has passed it, and a Senate vote is expected today or tomorrow. The National Association of Wheat Growers and the Washington Association of Wheat Growers is pleased to see that Congress has allocated resources ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Recently, the Washington State Supreme Court issued a controversial water decision involving the use of permit-exempt wells in rural areas, effectively limiting rural development in the state. The decision is known as the Hirst case and stems from a challenge brought by the environmental group Futurewise who argued that Whatcom County’s comprehensive plan failed to ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Once again, the issue of breaching the Snake River dams is back on the table. On Sept. 30, 2016, the federal government announced more than a dozen public hearings on the scoping process for a new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 14 dams in the Columbia River Basin. The 14 dams within the Columbia River ... Read More »

From the Capital Press The Washington Supreme Court’s ruling in Whatcom County vs. Hirst could shut down rural homebuilding statewide, a lobbyist for farm groups and other water users said Thursday at a House hearing. “The more I listen to people discuss the Hirst case, the more convinced I am that there will be no growth in the rural area ... Read More »

From NAWG In a statement published Dec. 1, 2016, it was announced that, after a thorough examination regarding the genetically engineered (GE) wheat detection in Washington state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has closed its fact finding. The agency also said it found no evidence of GE wheat in commerce. NAWG and ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Ag industry representatives say they’re as ready as possible for an upcoming 14-week closure of the Columbia/Snake river system that carries their goods overseas. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is closing the river from Dec. 12 through March 20. The extended closure allows the corps to make repairs at six dams on the river system, ... Read More »