Funded by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program provides assistance to producers who suffered eligible crop quality losses due to natural disasters occurring in 2018 and 2019. The deadline to apply for QLA is March 5, 2021. Eligible crops include those for which federal crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Yesterday marked day 36 of the 2021 Legislative Session. Yesterday was the first legislative deadline when all policy bills must be voted out of their respective policy committees to remain under consideration for the year. Legislation not covered by this deadline includes bills that have been voted out of policy committee, bills in fiscal committees ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Farm groups are lobbying to amend a capital gains tax proposal, hoping to head off a tax hit for cattlemen and retired farmers. As proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee and introduced by Democrats in the Legislature, active farmers and ranchers who sell their land would be exempted from the tax on gains from the one-time sale ... Read More »

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General sign-up period, which had previously been announced as ending on Feb. 12, 2021. USDA will continue to accept offers as it takes this opportunity for the incoming administration to evaluate ways to increase enrollment. Under the previous administration, incentives and rental payment rates were reduced, resulting ... Read More »

From the Capital Press U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson says his plan to end all salmon litigation and remove four Snake River dams would offer agriculture unprecedented legal protection, but industry stakeholders say it’s a non-starter. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Friday marked day 27 of the 2021 Legislative Session, and thus far, 974 bills have been introduced. A week remains until the first legislative deadline, Feb. 15, 2021, when all policy bills must be voted out of their respective policy committees to remain under consideration for the year. Bills that do not meet this deadline will ... Read More »

Lower Snake River Dams targeted again, increasing carbon with end to navigation and removing clean power  From the Washington Association of Wheat Growers and the Washington Grain Commission A southern Idaho Congressman who has more than a dozen dams within his state without fish passage has floated a plan to breach the four lower Snake River dams, dams that contain some ... Read More »

The Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) wants to remind producers that they have until March 15, 2021, to select and enroll in either the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program for the 2021 crop year. Failure to make a valid election and enrollment for the 2021 program year by that date will result in ineligibility ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Washington House Democrats are advancing a bill requiring public works projects to benefit salmon and have a “net ecological gain,” a vague standard the Farm Bureau warns could spread to private land. House Bill 1117 doesn’t define net ecological gain, besides requiring road, sewer and other projects to aid salmon recovery. Fish and Wildlife, other state ... Read More »

From the National Association of Wheat Growers Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a confirmation hearing for President Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, and followed with a quick committee vote that afternoon. National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) Chief Executive Officer Chandler Goule made the following statement in response: “Secretary Vilsack demonstrated ... Read More »