Current Issues

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All wheat is in! Last night, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a second round of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments that extends eligibility to all classes of wheat. In the first round of CFAP only hard red spring and durum wheat qualified for payments. The $14 billion package will provide payments for commodities that saw at least ... Read More »

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides assistance to qualifying farmers and ranchers within Washington state to help them recover from production or physical losses due to natural disaster events, such as the fires currently burning. This assistance is provided through FSA’s Emergency Loan Program or one of its many disaster programs. Below is a quick overview of FSA’s disaster programs ... Read More »

By Trista Crossley “With travel being curtailed during the pandemic, it has been more difficult for us to meet in person with our legislators, so we want to thank Rep. Newhouse for coming to Ritzville to sit down with us,” said Michelle Hennings, executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG). “We also want to thank those growers ... Read More »

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced yesterday that additional commodities will now be covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) in response to public comments and data. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline to apply for the program to Sept. 11. Unfortunately, USDA did not extend eligibility to any additional classes of wheat. ... Read More »

Producers can help protect APH with new crop insurance rule By Trista Crossley Wheat farmers now have another tool in their arsenal when it comes to utilizing crop insurance to safeguard their livelihoods. Beginning with the 2021 crop year, growers will be able to elect a quality loss option that protects their 10-year actual production history (APH), especially in cases ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG lobbyist In recent weeks, some political commentators and editorials predicted a blue wave in Washington state, but that failed to materialize. The purpose of the Aug. 4 primary election is to narrow down the number of candidates that qualify for the November general election. The two candidates who receive the most votes in the primary election ... Read More »

The much-anticipated Columbia River System Operations Final Environmental Impact Study (FEIS) was released late last week. It was developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bonneville Power Administration, and the US Bureau of Reclamation, with input from tribal nations and Northwest states, and provides a comprehensive, final analysis of the four lower Snake River dams. The Washington Association ... Read More »

Due to the uncertain timeframes of current group restrictions and financial implications of delaying a decision, the small grain grower associations of Idaho, Oregon and Washington regret to announce the cancellation of the 2020 Tri-State Grain Growers Convention. The event was originally scheduled for December 1-4, 2020 at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. The Tri-State Grain Growers Convention has become a ... Read More »

Another year, another 12 months of advocating for the Washington wheat industry. Here’s some highlights and a look what the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) has been up to for the last 365 days. July 2019 Farmers begin signing up for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP). The program, administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), will provide $14.5 billion ... Read More »