The House Ag Committee approved the reauthorization of Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus, WHIP+, but with added coverage for weather events, crop and ag product losses.
A coalition of western farmers, ranchers, water providers and farm communities is urging the U.S. Senate to pass legislation to upgrade aging water infrastructure.
The cities of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett areas are not included in the declaration, with the governor’s office saying that those areas have enough water storage to get through the summer.
Slower line speeds are now the rule at six pork processing plants under the new Swine Inspection System after a federal court ruling this year ordered packing plants to slow things down.
Because parched pastures won’t have enough grass to support their animals, dairy farmers and livestock ranchers need to buy more hay, and that means restricted supplies and higher prices.
Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, who leads the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, is asking Washington residents to make an effort to help prevent fires this Memorial Day weekend.
The NW cherry crop for this year looks to be bigger than last year’s. Northwest Cherry Growers estimates 23.8 million 20-pound boxes, based on data by its Field Estimate team.
China has reported a new outbreak of African swine fever in its Xinjiang region. The farm involved had 466 pigs, 280 which died due to the virus. The remainder will be culled.
The USDA has temporarily suspended past-due debt collections and foreclosures for distressed borrowers under the Farm Storage Facility Loan and the Direct Farm Loan programs.