State

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service All wheat planted in Washington totaled 2.30 million acres, down 1% from 2022. Harvested area, at 2.24 million acres, is down 1% from the previous year. Production totaled 113 million bushels, down 21% from 2022. Yield is estimated at 50.5 bushels per acre, down 12.9 bushels from the previous year. In Idaho, all wheat ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Anthony Smith has a passion for wheat farming. “When the wheat first starts poking out of the ground is pretty exciting, that relieves some stress,” Smith told the Capital Press. “Of course, those first few days of harvest are a feel-good time. Also, finishing harvest feels good, too.” Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

By Xianming Chen Research Plant Pathologist, USDA-ARS Based on the weather data of November and December 2023, stripe rust in the 2024 wheat growing season is predicted to be in the range of severe epidemic level (40-60% yield loss on susceptible varieties). Using different forecast models based on the 2023 November and December weather data, yield loss of highly susceptible ... Read More »

Four members of Washington’s congressional delegation have sent a letter to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) questioning how the U.S. government plans to finance the commitments outlined in the lower Snake River dams settlement agreement, which was released last month. The letter was sent by Reps. Kim Schrier, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and Dan Newhouse. “Some language ... Read More »

By Michelle Hennings Executive Director, Washington Association of Wheat Growers Boy, does time fly by.  I can’t believe it’s already time for my executive director column. The past six months have been busy with travel, meetings, and working many issues. We’ve done farm bill fly-ins to Washington, D.C.; participated in multiple workgroups and a Food for Peace event; organized a ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service Washington experienced warmer than average temperatures across the state. Accumulated precipitation varied from below average in western Washington to slightly above average in Eastern Washington. Skagit County has had a mild winter to date, and winter crops looked good. Whatcom County was drier than normal. Klickitat and Yakima counties were warmer than normal with ... Read More »

The Washington Association of Wheat Growers has spearheaded a letter to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee expressing concern that his administration has been privately engaging with the U.S. government and excluding agricultural stakeholders who would be directly impacted by significant changes to the river system. “Now that the ‘package of actions and commitments’ has been daylighted, our organizations are frustrated that ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Farmers usually have one main question for economist Randy Fortenbery. “They always want to know when the price is going to be better, and there’s not always a good answer for that,” Fortenbery said. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

By Diana Carlen Lobbyist, Washington Association of Wheat Growers Washington state legislators are gearing up for the upcoming legislative session, which will begin on Jan. 8, 2024, but prior to that, they will be hosting their annual Assembly Days in Olympia. This is an opportunity for legislative committees to hold work sessions and for legislators to outline priorities for the ... Read More »

The holidays came a little early for Washington wheat producers as they gathered a week before Thanksgiving to celebrate and support the industry, honor their fellow growers, and hear updates about the obstacles the industry is facing in the coming year. “The Tri-State Grain Growers Convention is always a fun, informative event that brings our members together to learn from ... Read More »