State

By Diana Carlen Lobbyist, Washington Association of Wheat Growers The Legislature adjourned on the 105th day of the 2025 Legislative Session on April 27 at 6:30 p.m. In the final week of the legislative session, the Legislature adopted the 2025-2027 operating, capital, and transportation budgets. However, it is unknown if Gov. Ferguson will sign the operating budget, veto it, or ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service  Washington, there were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork with good weather for planting progress.  Washington crop condition Winter wheat: 3% very poor 9% poor 19% fair 60% good 9% excellent Winter canola: 0% very poor 18% poor 72% fair 10% good 0% excellent Washington crop progress: Spring wheat planted: 57% this week 28% last ... Read More »

By Dr. Xianming Chen Research Plant Pathologist, USDA-ARS In the last two weeks, we were planting spring cereal nurseries and checking winter wheat fields in various locations. So far, we have found stripe rust in our disease monitoring and germplasm screening fields in various locations except those around Pullman.  On April 9, our crew found stripe rust in our winter ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyst With less than a week remaining in the regularly scheduled session, the Legislature is in a frenzy to finish on time. April 16 marked the Opposite House Floor Cutoff, meaning that it was the last day for the House and Senate to vote on bills from the other chamber. Bills that are considered necessary to ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service In Washington, there were 5.6 days suitable for fieldwork, with temperatures warming up across most of the state. Washington crop condition Winter wheat: 3% very poor 8% poor 20% fair 61% good 8% excellent Winter canola: 0% very poor 15% poor 70% fair 15% good 0% excellent Washington crop progress: Spring wheat planted: 28% ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist With just two weeks remaining in the 2025 Legislative Session, the countdown to the end of the session is in sight. Tuesday, April 8, marked the final fiscal cutoff deadline where bills from the opposite chamber with fiscal impact had to pass out of fiscal committees. This means there are no more committee hearings from ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service In Washington, there were 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork, with temperatures hovering near normal for most areas. Washington crop condition Winter wheat: 5% very poor 11% poor 19% fair 57% good 8% excellent Winter canola: 0% very poor 10% poor 68% fair 22% good 0% excellent Washington crop progress: Spring wheat planted: 12% this ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Week 12 brought another key deadline as the opposite house policy committee cutoff arrived Wednesday, April 2. House bills that weren’t voted out of policy committees by adjournment that day can no longer be considered during the 2025 session. The next deadline is April 8 when bills must be voted out of the opposite chamber’s ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service The statewide temperatures for March fluctuated between cooler temperatures with storms during the middle of the month and warmer temperatures toward the end of the month. Producers in central Washington saw little precipitation in the cropping areas of Yakima County. Orchard pruning occurred along with mowing and applying pest sprays. Apricots and peaches were ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service Wheat producers in Washington expect to plant 2.35 million acres of wheat in 2025, up 2% from last year. Winter wheat planted acres are expected to total 1.85 million acres for this year, up 3% from 2024. Spring wheat area planted is estimated at 500,000 acres, up 1% from last year. Idaho is estimated to have ... Read More »