January 2001

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New Gem Russet Potato Looks Promising By Marlene Fritz, University of Idaho A new potato with the good looks of Russet Norkotah, the high yields and long storability of Russet Burbank, and better processing quality than either has been released by the Tri-State Potato Variety Development Program. Steve Love, University of Idaho potato breeder and Tri-State coordinator, calls Gem Russet "the best variety we've produced out of this program." High in starch, it resists developing darkening sugars during cold storage. Because it can consequently be stored at 42 degrees Fahrenheit&endash;5 degrees colder than Russet Burbank&endash;Gem Russet is less likely to sprout, rot, dehydrate or otherwise "shrink" in the cellar. With immunity to potato virus X, average resistance to insect pests and good resistance to net necrosis, Gem Russet has only one clear weakness: it's a carrier of potato virus Y. "It doesn't show strong symptoms of PVY, but it allows PVY to spread rapidly from plant to plant," Love says. The Idaho Crop Improvement Association is requiring additional methods for detecting PVY in Gem Russet. Seed lots must pass both ELISA and visual tests prior to certification. According to Love, Gem Russet has strong potential as both a freshpack and processing variety. He describes it as a "real nice, blocky, heavy-skinned russet" whose improved flavor, texture and baking and frying qualities give it a "distinct advantage" over Russet Norkotah for freshpackers and whose low sugars should make it an attractive alternative to Ranger Russet for processors. It can be harvested moderately early&endash;10 days after Russet Norkotah. Seed grower Gary Steed of Almo calls Gem Russet a "nearly perfect potato" with a "tremendous propensity for yields and No. 1s." PVY is "the one and only problem that we're aware of," he says. Jed Wayment, a Cassia County commercial grower, says the quality of his 2000 Gem Russet crop was "better than excellent." He cautiously recommends the variety to other growers, but only if they have "absolute confidence" that the seed lot they have purchased is free of PVY. "It's a nice-flavored and nice-textured potato," says commercial and seed grower Mike Cranney of Oakley. "Once we learn how to grow the seed and keep the disease out, it probably has some good potential." EPA Workshop By Jean Smith, WSU Extension The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has initiated inspections of animal feeding operations (AFOs) and confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in Washington. Several operations have received significant fines for violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA). For years it was assumed that dairies, cattle (finishing) feedlots, swine operations, and other large confinement livestock operations were the only operations that were regulated for water quality under the CWA. With the recent inspections by EPA, it has become apparent that calf wintering lots, calving lots, etc., on cow-calf operations fall within the federal regulations as an AFO. WSU Cooperative Extension's Animal Agriculture Team is planning a workshop in Mid-January in Yakima with representatives from EPA and DOE to talk about the guidelines for animal feeding operations. Producers will have an opportunity to ask questions. The featured speakers will be Joe Roberto, EPA region 10 AFO coordinator, and Paul Turner and Max Linden from DOE. The program will be from 10 a.m. to noon. If you are interested in the workshop, please call the Kennewick Extension office at (509) 735-3551 to get on the program mailing list. A New Modest Proposal Submitted by Dr. Larwence Leith Following the successful reintroduction of wolves (imported from British Columbia) into Montana and Idaho, and the successful redistribution of grizzly bears into the same general area, it is time once again for animal lovers everywhere to unite in battle to ameliorate the plight of yet another beleaguered species. I refer here to the rats in New York city. I read just last week that efforts are underway to reduce or completely eliminate the number of rats currently dependent on the ecology of New York City's solid waste disposal system. One radical proposal was to require that garbage be placed in metal containers with lids, thus depriving the already embattled rats of their principal food source. It is well established that rats and garbage are as naturally intertwined as wolves and sheep, or grizzly bears and cattle. How can organizations such as PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals) or Greenpeace, or the Sierra Club or even Earth First sit idly by while New York city's rats are deprived of their natural food supply?. The consequences of this inertia on the part of our so-called animal lovers are at least threefold. First, Future VISITORS to New York will be deprived of the joy of seeing rats in their natural habitat and the accompanying thrill as they realize that they are sharing the environment with a totally untamed species. Second, they will be confronted with the melancholy sight of starving rats and their pitiful, undernourished offspring striving desperately to eke out an existence in an environment suddenly made hostile by the thoughtless intervention of self-centered New Yorkers. Third, it is incontrovertible that there is an inter-relationship among species, and this is no less true in the case of the rat. Fleas are dependent on rats, and undoubtedly dozens of them reside on each rat. Could any human anywhere, even in New York, be so callous as to deprive the tiny, innocent flea of its natural habitat to which it has been adapted for centuries? The answer, unfortunately, appears to be a resounding YES! But even this thoughtless consequence is not the end result. Yet another vital species is endangered in New York City's proposed action. The bacterium, "pasteurella pestis," also known as "yersinia pestis," is almost totally dependent on the fleas that live on the rat. For millenia the yersinia and the brown rat fleas have been interdependent. The bacterium infected people with the bubonic plague; the people then obligingly died faster than they could be buried quickly, thus providing a natural food supply for the rats, which, following God's commandment, multiplied. They, in turn, provided a friendly environment for the fleas in which the bacteria could flourish as is their natural right. Even though it has been conclusively demonstrated that these fleas, following Darwin's principle of adaptive radiation, have now radiated outward and adapted to other species of rats and even to the ground squirrels and antelope out west, that is no excuse for attempting to exterminate or at least create a hostile environment for their present hosts, the rats of New York City. How could any right-thinking people, most of whom would probably claim to be of the Christian or Jewish faith, condone the extinction of three of God's species merely to satisfy the aesthetic pretensions of New York City dwellers? Did Noah strive in vain? If the argument is made that the rats bite children and cause infection, our answer must be that that is a small price to pay for the privilege of sharing the environment with something so wild and free as the rat, the flea, and the pasteurella pestis. That this is not specious reasoning may be seen from the arguments of our fellow defenders of wolves, coyotes, and grizzly bears who contend that the annual loss of a few dozen sheep and cattle and an occasional hiker or two is a small price to pay for the privilege of sharing the land with these magnificient creatures and enjoying the thrill of knowing that a grizzly may be eyeing us up for lunch as we hike in the wilderness. And surely those visitors to the western states who rhapsodize over hearing the howl of a wolf in the evening would not be selfish enough to deprive visitors to New York City of the equal pleasure of listening at night to the myriad squeaks and the scuttle of tiny feet as the rats scurry from one garbage bag to the next. It is, of course, possible that the natives of New York City may be too inured to the suffering of others or too self-centered to listen to reason. There is, unfortunately, ample historical evidence to attest to this. In which case our only recourse as animal lovers is to resort to the courts. I am sure that litigation attorneys such as David Boies and the renowned constitutional scholar Lawrence Tribe, both of Florida recount fame, would have no difficulty making a case for the rats. After all, if hanging oil-company pin-up calendars on the walls of a gas station, or reading Playboy Magazine in a public restaurant can be construed by the courts as "creating a hostile environment" for any female who happens to walk by close enough to see these things, surely depriving the rats of their natural food, "to which they have become accustomed over the years," by putting garbage in metal containers, WITH LIDS yet, can be construed as creating a hostile environment to the detriment of this species. The legal expenses, if any, incurred in this litigation can be defrayed in the same way as the cost of capturing wolves in British Columbia by helicopter and transporting them to Yellowstone Park and its environs&emdash;by billing the American taxpayers. I use the term, "if any," advisedly. After all, since these would be litigation attorneys defending the rights of rats, they might be induced to perform their services "pro bono." Admittedly, the initial fifteen million dollar cost of importing wolves from Canada, (15 animals at $1,000,000 per head) increased considerably as some of the wolves, not being accustomed to traffic, got run over by cars in Yellowstone Park; others, venturing astray to sample the local calf crop, were shot by inconsiderate ranchers and had to be replaced by further imports. However, the advantage to my proposal, preserving the current crop of rats in New York City, is that it is composed entirely of resident or domestic rats who are already adept at surviving in their present environment. If we act now, we will be spared the unnecessary expense of having to import rats from say Viet Nam or North Korea in the future so that, in President Clinton's mantra, "our children, and our children's children" may enjoy the same blessings of nature as our parents did. I close with this exhortation to all animal lovers. Unite and make your voices heard in defense of the New York City rat and its dependents the flea and the pasteurella pestis. Consider that is has been almost 250 years since humans have witnessed a full-scale eruption of the bubonic plague. Even our great-great-grandparents have only read about it. In the spirit that made Jurassic Park a box office hit, shouldn't we be able someday to take "our children and our children's children" to New York City and show them the bounties of nature untrammelled? And what more appropriate place and time to preserve these species than the state that fortuitously has just given us Hillary as a United States Senator? I'm sure she will wholeheartedly support this cause because she knows that "it take a village to raise a child," but it takes a city the size of New York to raise a viable population of rats. Respectfully, A true conservationist Sheep Shearing School By Jean Smith, WSU Extension, Benton & Franklin Counties The annual Sheep Shearing School, sponsored by Washington State Sheep Producers and WSU Cooperative Extension, will be held on April 2-7, 2001 in Moses Lake. Experienced sheep shearers interested in tuning up their skills can participate in the Advanced Tune-Up School scheduled for April 2nd. The Basic Learning School will begin on April 3rd and continue through April 7th. OSU Review For Applicator License Exam February 6th (Tuesday)&emdash;Calculations Workshop, 9:00-11 :00 am at HAREC February 7th (Wednesday)&emdash; General Review, 8:30 am-12:30 pm at BMCC-Hermiston Two review sessions for those planning to take the ODA Exam for the Private Applicator Pesticide License will be offered. On Tuesday, February 6th, 9:00-11:00 am, will be a "Calculations Workshop" at the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC) for those needing assistance with the math portions of the exam. A practice worksheet is available to review prior to the session. On Wednesday, February 7th, a "General Review" will be offered at BMCC-Hermiston campus which will cover all aspects of the exam except math. Four recertification credits will be available for attending this "General Review" training session for those who currently hold a license. The ODA Pesticide Licensing Exam will be offered after lunch at BMCC-Hermiston at 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. There will be no registration fee for the course, but participants are encouraged to study the "Oregon Pesticide Applicator Manual" prior to the training session. A limited number of copies are currently available for $14.50 each at the HAREC. Space is limited to 60 participants, so pre-registration is strongly encouraged by calling HAREC at 541/567-8321. Brookins Exhorts Grain Growers To "Think in Global Way" From OWGL's Oregon Wheat Don't expect a "honeymoon" in Washington, DC, and be quick to speak up, Carole Brookins told the Pacific Northwest Grain Conference on November 19, 2000. Think in a global way, and "don't let the elitists in the population centers control our country," Brookins said. Brookins is Chairman and CEO of World Perspectives Inc., a Washington DC-based policy analysis firm who consults for a variety of agribusiness clients and also the US government. She was one of two keynote speakers who addressed the Pacific Northwest Grains Conference 2000 last week in Portland. Brookins warned that activists of many philosophies, from environmental extremists to political zealots, want things their way and agriculture needs to be in the forefront always. Trade agreements that leave agriculture out will be "disastrous" for American agriculture the industry must remain vigilant to prevent them. She expects no gridlock in Washington&emdash;at least in the executive branch&emdash;after the presidential question is settled. A narrow split in Congress means that neither party can restrain an activist executive branch. "The executive will have lots of wiggle room" and could be stronger than expected as both Republicans and Democrats "move to the left" in preparation for the elections of 2002. She expects the federal budget surplus to be spent quickly. Will there be a 200l Farm Bill? Brookins expects to see some kind of transitional legislation. "The buzz word is 'counter cyclical safety net'," Brookins said. Movement has begun in both the Senate and the House to consider farm program amendments. A key in any farm program proposal will be flexibility, partnered with support programs. "Raising loan rates and taking land out of production doesn't work," but just shifts production to other countries, she said. She encouraged farmers to study world demographics to be aware of such factors as population distribution&emdash;in the year 2050 Asia will encompass 58 percent of the world's people, Africa 22 per cent&emdash;America? Just 12 1/2 percent. It is also important to tailor the products that farmers produce to the preferences of demographic groups around the world who are large and! or growing. There were 14 cities in the world with populations over 10 million in 1995; projections indicate that in 2015, that number will double, with most of the increase coming in Asia. She closed her presentation with a call for action in five areas: (1) Challenge the European Union Free Trade Agreements under Article XXIV; (2) Fair Export Competition: Ask the rest of the world to do what we're already doing&emdash;report quantities and destinations of all export shipments publicly; (3) Guarantee food security to net-food-importing countries; (4) Make the Asian-Pacific area (APEC) and the Free Trade Agreement for the Americas (FTAA) export-subsidy-free zones; and (5) Expand U.S. efforts in market development and food aid.

January 2001 Idaho Agricultural Outlook Prospects Improving For Small Grains, Beans, Milk and Beef By Marlene Fritz, University of Idaho If they're producing wheat, barley, beans, milk or beef cattle, Idaho farmers and ranchers can ring in the New Year with realistic hopes for better prices, say University of Idaho extension agricultural economists. In forecasts published in the university's January 2001 Idaho Agricultural Outlook, the economists say modest gains appear likely for small grains, dairy and beans, but the improved prices they're anticipating still fall short of production costs for many operators. Beef prospects, on the other hand, are downright rosy. Beef The cattle market "just seems to get better every time you look at it," says C. Wilson Gray, UI extension agricultural economist in Twin Falls. "Prices have recovered well from summer lows, demand seems to be improving and feedlot placements have been lower this fall, which will lead to tighter supplies down the road this spring." Indeed, the University of Missouri's Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute is projecting a fed-cattle baseline price of $74.30 per cwt. for Nebraska direct-marketed Choice steers for 2001-05, compared with $65.44 for 1995-2000. According to Gray, fed-cattle prices for the Pacific Northwest could average above $70 for nearly all of 2001. He expects PNW direct Choice fed steers to average $71-76 for the first quarter and $68-75 for the second quarter. Should either the economy or the 2001 feed grain crop shrink, however, Gray says cattle prices "could face challenges to remain at the present level." Currently, analysts believe the strong economy and higher disposable income are key factors in the anticipated 4 percent increase in retail Choice beef demand for 2000. Supporting higher prices from the supply end are three successive months&endash;September, October and November&endash;of lower placements into feedlots, leading to November's smallest increase in number of cattle on feed since August 1999. Gray expects feeder supplies to be tight this winter, squeezing the number of fed cattle coming to market later this winter and next spring. "How aggressively and when cattlemen decide to begin herd expansion will also have a major impact on feeder supplies and eventually on how much both slaughter and feeder cattle prices can increase," he says. Higher feeder calf prices attracted up to 1.5 million Mexican feeder cattle to U.S. feedlots in 2000&endash;50 percent more than in 1999. Imports of beef were up 6.2 percent, largely because of a 108.3 million pound increase in beef purchased from New Zealand. But exports were up as well&endash;altogether 6 percent for the first 10 months of 2000. Dairy Prices for the manufacturing- or cheese-grade milk that dominates Idaho production should inch up during the first half of 2001, if slipping prices for replacement heifers since September are a reliable indicator of slower dairy growth. Gray expects milk prices to rise from the probable $9.50 average for the fourth quarter of 2000 to $9.75-10.25 for the first quarter of 2001 and $9.50-10.50 for the second quarter. Those projections depend on continued slower growth&endash;or even a decline&endash;in dairy cow numbers and on production remaining seasonally low for the winter months, Gray says. Although U.S. per-cow milk production in November was up 1.5 percent over year-ago figures, 19 of 20 reporting states saw declines from October to November. Across those same 20 states, cow numbers increased by only 1,000 head. "It looks like they have finally stalled out," Gray says. "This would indicate that the run-up in expansion has about reached an end and numbers may actually return to the long-term trend of decreasing slightly each year." Further evidence is the slippage in prices for replacement heifers. According to Gray, November prices averaged only $90 more than the 10-year average of $1,193&endash;significantly less than the $1,350 to $1,400 replacement heifers had been commanding earlier in 2000. That, he says, also suggests that most new construction and facility expansion may be nearing completion and that animals to fill these new stalls have largely been secured. Gray advises Idaho dairy producers to be "scrutinizing" all herd animals for their contributions to the operation. "With strong cull-cow prices and low milk prices, dairy cows that are not paying the costs to have them in the barn should go down the road," he says. Wheat U.S. wheat growers received an average $2.50 a bushel for all types of wheat during the first six months of the 2000-01 marketing year, and UI agricultural economist Paul Patterson expects that figure to nudge upward by a dime or two between now and June. That's still significantly below the five-year average of $3.10, but at least the trend is upward from last year's $2.48. "If crop condition reports on the winter wheat crop continue to be negative, wheat prices could certainly move higher than U.S. wheat market fundamentals currently indicate," says Patterson, who is based in Idaho Falls. "A major weather problem would put some life in the market." He advises growers still holding wheat to sell into any price rally. The length of the rally could be short, he cautions, because U.S. ending stocks of 862 million bushels are "acting like an anchor on today's market." Soft white wheat&endash;which comprised 59 percent of Idaho acreage in 2000&endash;was bringing $2.99 at Portland in December, up significantly from August's $2.65 monthly average. A 19.5 million metric ton Australian wheat crop that's 5.5 million MMT below last year's "should help continue the positive trend in soft white wheat prices," Patterson says. He expects the market-year average price for soft white wheat to reach $3.05&endash;a nickel higher than last year's. At the world level, projected ending stocks of 109.9 MMT are 11.7 percent below the five-year average and 13.1 percent below last year's stocks. Utilization continues to rise or at least hold. "In the past, a stocks-to-use ratio below 20 percent…would have precipitated a rapid increase in price," says Patterson. However, the "world infrastructure has improved over time, giving the importing nations the confidence to buy hand-to-mouth." For the 2001-02 U.S. crop, Patterson projects production at 2.3 billion bushels and wheat prices to average $2.75 for all wheat and $3.30 for soft white wheat at Portland. Should production be held to 2.1 billion bushels, U.S. prices could move to $3.10 and $3.60, respectively. Should it reach 2.5 billion bushels, Patterson estimates prices at $2.60 for all wheat and around $3.00 for soft white at Portland. "The importance of marketing loans and loan deficiency payments should be apparent to all Idaho producers," he says. "Unless something pushes cash markets considerably higher, wheat and feed grain growers should carefully consider their merits as part of their overall marketing plans." Feed Grains Patterson expects feed barley prices to average between $3.95 and$4.10 for the 2000-01 marketing year&endash;10 to 25 cents higher than theprevious year's $3.85 per cwt. With the USDA forecasting the averagecorn price at $1.65 to $2.05 per bushel, he notes that "cheap corn means cheap feed barley for Idaho producers." From now until June, Patterson anticipates that feed barley will trade in the $3.85 to $4.25 range. Total U.S. feed grain production for 2000-01 is up 5 percent over 1999-00, but use is up an even higher 6.7 percent, putting a halt to the large annual increases in ending stocks. At 17.6 percent, the current stocks-to-use ratio is lower than last year's 18.2 percent but still above the five-year average of 13.9 percent. Exports are expected to increase 50 percent for barley, 13.6 percent for corn and 9.9 percent for total U.S. feed grains. World supplies of coarse grains make any significant price improvements for these crops which include corn&endash;"unlikely in the short term," Patterson says. Ending stocks of 140.1 MMT are 15.2 percent below last year's but 11.1 MMT above the five-year average. The good news is that, at 15.8 percent, the stocks-to-use ratio for world coarse grains is in line with the five-year average of 16 percent. Patterson characterizes the fundamentals in the world coarse grain market as "neutral." Dry Beans Patterson has shaved $2 off his October price projection for Idaho dry beans. He is now projecting a composite average for the current marketing year, across all five major classes, of $18 per cwt. In making the adjustment, Patterson cited a 3.2 percent increase in the USDA forecast for 2000 dry edible bean production and a 9.5 percent reduction in export levels for the first nine months of 2000 compared with 1999. He also noted that Idaho's dominant classes&endash;pintos and great northerns&endash;saw disproportionately smaller cutbacks in acreage during 2000 than other classes nationally. While planted acreage was down 13 percent nationally over 1999, pintos slipped only 5 percent and great northerns only 4 percent. At 26.42 million cwt., this year's U.S. harvest was the smallest since 1993. Nevertheless, Idaho bean prices are not generally rebounding as fast as Patterson anticipated two months ago. Pinto prices&endash;up to as high as $17.50 this fall&endash;dropped back to $15.50 by mid-December. Great northerns slipped from $17.50 in early October to $16. Small whites are trading at $16.50, a dollar off their August price. Only pinks and small reds, at $14.50, are bringing more than they did at harvest. Compared with other market classes, pintos also suffered more in the arena of world trade. Pinto exports for January-September 2000 were off 18.3 percent over year-ago levels, while great northerns saw an increase of 35.1 percent. "The big unknown on exports is whether the fourth quarter of 2000 will be as strong as the fourth quarter of 1999, which accounted for 36 percent of dry bean exports that year," Patterson says. He believes bean prices will strengthen over the winter and spring months. But, with a glut of carryover stocks, "the question is how long will it take for the marketing pipeline to clear out so prices will continue to move up?" Patterson notes that several sizable purchases of canned and dry packed beans made by the USDA this past fall should move out some of the surplus and help prices advance. Looking ahead to the 2001-02 marketing year, Patterson expects an average composite price for next year's crop of $19 to $20, assuming 2001 U.S. production of 28.5 million cwt., Idaho production of 1.9 million cwt. and exports of 9 million cwt. That compares with a five-year average of $19.55 per cwt., 30.3 million cwt. U.S. production, 2.1 million cwt. Idaho production and 8.8 million cwt. in exports. Should 2001 U.S. production hit 29.5 million cwt. and exports hold at 8 million cwt., Patterson projects a composite average price to Idaho growers of $17. Should U.S. production reach only 27.5 million cwt. and exports move up to 10 million cwt., Idaho growers can anticipate around $22 for their upcoming crop, he says. The UI's January 2001 Idaho Agricultural Outlook will be available in its entirety, with supporting tables and graphs, after Dec. 27 on the Web site of the UI Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, http://www.uidaho.edu/ag/agecon. Once on the home page, Internet users should click first on Publications, then on the January 2001 outlook. Risk Management Education Workshops Slated For Orchardists By Terence L. Day, Washington State University Helping Washington orchardists survive today's highly stressful financial environment is the goal of a series of workshops that will be offered January - March by educators and federal agencies. Two-day workshops will be held in Yakima, Okanogan and Chelan to train families how to develop a plan for future success. "The goal is for people to leave with an understanding of how to develop a framework and plan for their success in the future, whether they stay in the tree fruit business or not," says Washington State University's Jonathan Newkirk. "People won't be coming to listen to six hours of lecture each day. They will have hands-on work assignments that integrate both financial and human resource issues," he said. The workshops are part of the Risk Management Education project for Pacific Northwest Orchard Families Project. WSU Cooperative Extension, USDA Risk Management Agency and USDA Farm Services Agency professionals and a Wenatchee Valley College instructor are developing the workshop curriculum, which also will be published on paper and on the World Wide Web. The curriculum and workshop agenda will integrate information on financial, orchard, and market analysis and management, family strengthening, personal health, marketing, managing production risks, goal setting and coping with change. Participants will be able to develop a family business and finance plan that will be built around four questions. Where are they? What is their current situation? An analysis of family and business finances, communication skills and experience, family strengths, quality of life, health, management skills, production risks, labor supply, and orchard resources will be developed. * Where do they want to be? * How will they get there? * How will they know when they've arrived? Each workshop will cover two full-day sessions, on two Saturdays so each adult decision maker in the family can participate. The first workshop will be held in Yakima, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Jan. 20 and 27. The second will be in Okanogan, Feb. 10 and 17. The final workshop will be held in Chelan, Feb.24 and March 10. Additional workshops will be held in Oregon and Idaho late next fall. The USDA Risk Management Agency is providing $21,000 in funding. Farm Services Agency is providing $20,000 and WSU Cooperative Extension, the Wenatchee Valley College, USDA RMA and FSA are providing personnel and other support. Each workshop will cost $10 per person, including two lunches. To register, send a $10 check, payable to WSU Cooperative Extension, to PO Box 550, Waterville, WA 98858. Diazinon: Don't Just "Throw It Out" From WSDA In the effort to alert consumers yesterday (Dec. 5) about the phase-out of the insecticide diazinon over the next couple of years, some media may have given poor advice to their audiences. The state Department of Agriculture received reports today that the message some television viewers "heard" was: "Quickly go to your garage and look under your sink, and throw out any diazinon." The calls follow Tuesday's announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of an agreement to phase out the manufacturing, distribution and use of the widely used insecticide by 2004. It is still legal to purchase and use diazinon products according to label directions and precautions during this phase-out. Consumers who choose not to use their supply of diazinon should dispose of it through local hazardous waste programs. "Pesticides not disposed of properly can leak, causing environmental harm to property, animals and fish," said Bob Arrington, assistant director, Pesticide Management Division, state Department of Agriculture. For information about proper pesticide disposal: * Your local county household hazardous waste program. In King County, call 1-888-ToxicEd. * The state Department of Ecology waste disposal information line at 1-800-RECYCLE. * EPA's Web site on diazinon at www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/diazinon.htm. * The state Department of Agriculture disposes of unwanted pesticides, particularly agricultural grade pesticides, under its Pesticide Waste Disposal Program at (360) 902-2056.

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