Tag Archives: inputs

WA farmers wrongly charged under climate laws pleading for a fix

From fox13seattle.com For years, Washington State has been losing two farms per day, and the impact of the Climate Commitment Act is making it even harder for some to survive. The Washington Farm Bureau says the Climate Commitment Act, which passed in 2021, is now disproportionately impacting small farms. If the system worked as intended, farmers wouldn’t have been negatively ... Read More »

Washington’s cap-and-trade rebate pot for farmers still almost full

From the Capital Press Washington farmers and truckers have barely touched a $28.5 million pot of money the state set aside to partially refund them for the cap-and-trade taxes they paid on fuel in 2023. They have claimed $1.86 million, or just 6.5% of the money, the Department of Licensing reported Tuesday. The department started taking applications Aug. 26. It ... Read More »

Don’t forget to apply for fuel tax repayments

The Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) is accepting applications for partial repayments to ag producers or transporters of ag products who paid carbon fees related to the state’s cap and trade program on fuel purchases. Qualifying purchases are between Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2023. Funds will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications should be submitted at DOL’s ... Read More »

Washington cap-and-trade rebates start Aug. 26

From the Capital Press It will be first-come, first-served when Washington distributes $28.5 million to partially refund cap-and-trade surcharges to farmers and haulers of farm goods. The Department of Licensing plans to activate a website and start taking applications for rebates Aug. 26. Applicants can file online or print applications to mail. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

EPA Releases Draft Strategy for Insecticide applications

In late July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its draft Insecticide Strategy for public comment. The draft strategy identifies protections that EPA will consider when it registers a new insecticide or reevaluates an existing one. In developing this draft strategy, EPA identified protections to address potential impacts for more than 850 species listed by the U.S. Fish & ... Read More »

Washington Farm Bureau: Cap-and-trade costs farmers over $153 million

From the Capital Press The Washington Farm Bureau estimates farmers have paid at least $153 million and likely far more this year in cap-and-trade fees, even though lawmakers intended to exempt agriculture from the tax on fossil fuels. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

A world without glyphosate

New study details the potential impacts of banning glyphosate A recent study concludes that the loss of glyphosate as a viable tool for agriculture would result in doubled input costs for farmers, increased soil erosion, increased carbon emissions, and increased costs for consumers. “We assess that if glyphosate were no longer available, markets would adapt through substitution and adjusted practices, ... Read More »

Washington senator calls for cap-and-trade changes

From the Capital Press A Washington Republican state senator said July 5 the Department of Ecology should act to bring down the cost of cap-and-trade allowances to ease the upward pressure on fuel prices. read the rest of the article here. Read More »

Washington gas prices top US as carbon fee takes hold

From the Capital Press Washington has moved past California to have the most expensive gasoline in the U.S., a surge coinciding with Washington’s cap-and-trade carbon fee almost doubling California’s. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

Farm input costs expected to rise 4% in 2023

Reprinted with permission from the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Minority Blog Alongside historic inflation across the broader U.S. economy, the highest in over 40 years, farmers and ranchers across the country experienced their own version of inflation: soaring land values, cash rents, fertilizer, fuel, chemical, animal feed, machinery, and interest expenses, among many others. The U.S. ... Read More »