November 2000

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End Of American Agriculture? Not Just Yet By Terence L. Day, Washington State University Author Steven Blank admits the title of his book and lectures, "The End of Agriculture in the American Portfolio," is a bit alarming, but he doesn't back down from his prediction that America will lose agriculture as we know it, unless public policy intervenes to preserve the nation's agricultural capacity. Blank spoke at the Washington State University Cooperative Extension Conference 2000 held at Washington State University in Pullman on October 12. "American agriculture will outlive me," Blank said, "but I'm not so sure about my grandchildren. It will last a few decades, but it certainly will not exist as we know it by the end of this century." That is, it won't survive without government intervention. And Blank emphatically expresses his belief that America has an obligation to preserve its agricultural capacity, for strategic political reasons. Intervention would come in terms of government programs that encourage farmers to take more risk. "Freedom to farm didn't work," Blank said, noting that farmers are receiving some $23 billion in government payments. Noting that no apples are grown in Manhattan (New York), Blank said America is taking farmland out of production. Once it is lost to urbanization, it never will return to agricultural production. Blank noted the irony that cities that were founded to support farms in California's San Joaquin Valley today are the greatest threat to the survival of those farms. As Blank grew up on the family farm near Modesto, Calif., he thought he would become a fifth generation farmer. But the farm failed while he served in the armed forces and he became an agricultural economist, eventually joining the University of California, Davis faculty. Blank says when farmers came to him for an explanation of economic events they saw happening in agriculture, he discovered that farmers follow the same basic economic principles that govern investors. The economist peppered his WSU audience with data showing that agriculture is a declining industry and that farmers eventually are forced to get out of farming and invest in something else. In 1992, there were 1,925,300 farms in the United States. In 1997 there were 1,911,900. The decline in full-time farms was even more dramatic. Blank said 869,700 farmers received all of their income from farming in 1997, down from 932,500 in 1992. Acreage in farming also is down, from 1.2 billion acres in 1954 to 931.8 million acres. About 88 percent of the income of the nation's farmers comes from non-farm income, a fact that makes them "hobby farmers." Blank credited land-grant universities (such as WSU and UC, Davis) with helping American agriculture survive. They have done so by creating new technology that has enabled American producers to be the most efficient in the world. However, he said the back side of new technology is that it is always exported and applied in other countries. Rising production causes prices to fall. Among farmers, only the early adopters of new technology benefit. However, Blank said consumers always benefit from lower prices. Americans, he said, currently pay only 8 percent of their income for food. The problem for farmers, Blank said, is that supply and demand always are global, but production costs always are local. This means production will go where costs are least&emdash;overseas&emdash;and more Americans will leave farming. Blank illustrated this phenomenon with data showing that the average prices U.S. farmers receive for their crops has fallen 7 percent over the past 10 years while their costs increased 16 percent or 17 percent. The average profit from farming in America has consistently been only 2 percent or 3 percent, "year after year, after year for 30 years. Even my checking account pays that well," Blank quipped. More and more farmers leave agriculture in search of better investments. Those who remain are forced to get bigger and bigger in order to afford the high cost of farming. While Blank predicts that biotechnology may be the next wave of increased agricultural production that will keep some farmers in business, ultimately, it will create more surpluses and drive prices down. That's good news for consumers, but bad news for farmers on an economic treadmill. Burgeoning world population notwithstanding, Blank says food surpluses will be an even bigger problem in the future. Blank said various experts predict world population to grow from today's 6 billion people to somewhere between 8 billion and 11 billion by the year 2060. But today's technology and natural resources can produce food to feed 11 billion people a 2,500 calorie-a-day diet, "Blank says. China, a wheat importer today, may be the world's leading wheat exporter in 20 years, Blank said. Despite the scary title, Blank says farmers who have read his book are among his strongest supporters. He isn't any happier than farmers about the sad story he tells about the future of American agriculture, but he said economists have to tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. Pasture Demand May Fuel Interest In Alternative Grazing By Marlene Fritz, University of Idaho With fall pasture in high demand after a summer of fires and drought, alternatives such as grain fields may start looking good to Idaho cattle producers. Indeed, grazing cattle in grain fields is "the norm" in the southern Plains states, says Brad Brown, University of Idaho extension crop management specialist at Parma. "But the practice is a little bit uncommon for our area." He thinks it could be expanded, especially in newly planted fall grain in Idaho's warmer valleys. "By the middle of November, enough wheat will be up in the Treasure Valley that producers could open their fields to grazing if they wanted to," he says. In addition, rather than plowing under the volunteer grain that sprouts after harvest, farmers at lower elevations could make it available to ranchers. Throughout Idaho, grain stubble, corn stalks, hay crops too short to harvest or other crop "aftermath" could also provide needed feed for livestock returning early from range. To help Idaho's crop and livestock producers make connections this year, the University of Idaho Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology has developed an electronic clearinghouse located at Web site http://www.ag.uidaho.edu/pasture. Farmers and ranchers can contact the UI extension educator in their county to list their names, phone numbers and other pertinent data on the interactive Web site. They can also call coordinator C. Wilson Gray at 208/736-3622, write him at pasturelist@uidaho.edu or enter the information themselves. Brown says fall grazing in established wheat should have "minimal" impact on crop yields. "I'm convinced we can do some fall grazing without much effect," he says. "The income from grazing may more than offset any losses to next year's crop." Cattle should be removed, however, before grain heads emerge from crowns in spring. "If you're still grazing after that, your production will be considerably affected," says Brown. He adds that furrow irrigators may need to reestablish their corrugates after the cattle have left. Larry Robertson, UI extension crop management specialist at Aberdeen, says grain growers may also need to increase their fertilizer applications minimally to compensate for any topgrowth that has been removed. They should also be aware of the potential for losing stands if livestock sink into wet fields. Nevertheless, Robertson considers opening fields to grazing economically "advisable." "Normally, we see more of it done on dryland wheat, but it's the irrigated producers who could really benefit from it," he says. "They could alter their planting dates to make the system work." Though not nearly as nutritious as newly sprouted grain, wheat and barley stubble can "go a long way" towards meeting the energy requirements of beef cattle in late fall, says Carl Hunt, University of Idaho beef cattle nutritionist. Hunt estimates that it can provide 90 percent of a cow's energy needs and that the rest can be met with "fairly marginal amounts" of supplementation. Stubble fields are likely to be shorter in protein than energy, Hunt says, but cattle producers should be able to compensate with a 22 percent or higher protein supplement. Fortunately, late fall is the time in beef cattle lifecycles when the animals need the lowest amounts of both protein and energy, Hunt says. Cows are in mid-pregnancy and calves have been weaned. "Timing-wise, it's very convenient." The electronic pasture clearinghouse is co-sponsored by the UI Cooperative Extension System and the Idaho Cattle Association. Bovine Tuberculosis Emergency Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman signed a declaration of emergency on Oct. 16, authorizing the transfer of $44 million this year to expand the bovine tuberculosis eradication program in the United States. This is an initial payment on what is expected to be a multi-year effort. "These emergency funds will be used to help curb this disease in the United States," Glickman said. "The spread of the disease in this country could compromise international and domestic trade of U.S. animals and animal products and threaten producers with losses and consumers with price increases." Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic and debilitating disease that primarily affects cattle, bison, and cervine species, which include elk and deer. Recent scientific tests have identified a significant bovine tuberculosis threat from infected wildlife, especially free-ranging deer, which in turn, transmit the disease to nearby cattle. In Michigan, eight herds of cattle were infected with tuberculosis and the U.S. cattle population is being threatened by recurring infections of dairy herds in Texas along the U.S. Mexican border. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will expand the bovine tuberculosis eradication program by * surveying for bovine tuberculosis in U.S. wildlife and zoos * improving federal diagnostics capabilities and national surveillance for the disease * making indemnity payments to farmers for the depopulation of infected and high-risk herds * establishing identification requirements for animals imported into the United States for feeding and slaughter Buyer Beware When Purchasing Feed Over Internet From WSDA One of the beauties of the Internet is the ability to buy or sell products over great distances. It's a little like mail order in that you can find products that may not be available locally or even in your state. But, how do you know you're getting what you paid for? To identify animal feed Web sites promoting products for unapproved purposes, or making false or misleading health claims, the state Department of Agriculture participated Oct. 11 in the first nationwide "Surf Day." The first search was limited to Web sites that sell or distribute horse feed or horse feed supplements. Department of Agriculture found nine companies selling 20 products. All of the companies have products for which they are making outright or implied drug claims that may not have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Seven are not licensed to do business in Washington. A letter will be sent to the seven unlicensed companies advising them of Washington's licensing and registration requirements. And, all nine companies will receive letters requesting labels for the 20 products. "We will take appropriate regulatory action after we confirm with the Food and Drug Administration that the claims on the products are misleading or unproven," said Ali Kashani, feed and fertilizer compliance coordinator at Department of Agriculture. All of the information collected will be sent to the appropriate committee of the Association of Feed Control Officials, which will compile the data. An educational response will be developed for firms found to be out of compliance. Follow-up activities may include training and compliance monitoring. The companies identified by Department of Agriculture are based in Minnesota, Nevada, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Arizona, California, Australia and Germany. Among the 20 products were: * Five herbal mixtures claiming to promote calming, mitigate excessive bleeding or cure colitis. * Six supplements claiming to reduce irritability, promote calmness, allow offspring to reach genetic potential, act as an anti-inflammatory, act as a bronchial dilator, or improve performance. * Five claiming to be biological aids that furnish ultra-trace minerals; promote faster healing; decrease symptoms of arthritis; raise hormone levels to make horse more competitive; or relieve stiffness in legs, tendon strains, and swelling in the joints. * Three homeopathic products that claim to give "fantastic results," be a "powerful anti-inflammatory," "make a horse feel really good," or help relax the horse. * One high calorie diet claims to aid environmentally challenged, anorexic or weak foals. Surf Day was sponsored by the Association of American Feed Control Officials in partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and feed control officials from many states and Canada. Each participant was assigned three search engines. For four hours they surfed the Web looking for Internet vendors selling equine feeds and equine feed supplements that may not be in compliance with federal and state commercial feed regulations. Future Surf Days will be planned to address other issues and species. Changes Proposed To Pesticide & Fertilizer Secondary Containment Regulations From WSDA The state Department of Agriculture is proposing revisions to rules governing secondary containment of pesticides and fertilizers. Public comment on the proposals will be heard at two separate hearings back to back, beginning with the fertilizer rules at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 in Lacey, Yakima and Spokane (addresses attached). Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. Nov. 8. The proposed revisions resulted from the work of an advisory committee appointed last December by Jim Jesernig, director of the state Department of Agriculture. Jesernig asked the committee to review the rules and recommend needed changes. Many revisions are housekeeping in nature; however, significant changes have been proposed as well. The proposals include: * Language specifying a performance-based standard for secondary containment construction materials. * Allowing other containers of compatible materials within secondary containment. * Clarification of the intent of the original rule that liquid fertilizer and pesticides may not be stored underground or in surface impoundments (such as ponds or pits). In addition, it adds fertilizer spills and rinsate from being stored underground or in surface impoundments. * Additional requirements regarding the posting and re-introduction to service of abandoned storage tanks. * Addition of the "date of placement" on temporary field storage labeling (fertilizer only). * Language requiring any owner of temporary field storage to supply Department of Agriculture, upon request, the location and identification number of his/her temporary field storage. * Definitions of "approved air gap" and "approved reduced pressure principle back flow prevention assembly (RPBA)." * Revising the back flow prevention section of the rules to be consistent with requirements of the state Department of Health. * Requiring fertilizer rinsate stored in quantities in excess of 500 gallons to be placed in secondary containment. * Language convening the permit advisory committee only upon request from Department of Agriculture, a person holding a permit, or the committee. Direct questions on the proposed fertilizer rules to Ted Maxwell, (360) 902-2026, tmaxwell@agr.wa.gov; and questions on the proposed pesticide rules to Cliff Weed, (360) 902-2036, cweed@agr.wa.gov. Send written comments to Laurie Mauerman, Washington State Department of Agriculture, PO Box 42560, Olympia, WA 98504-2560; e-mail lmauerman@agr.wa.gov or FAX (360) 902-2093. Hearing locations are: DIS Interactive Technologies, 710 Sleater-Kinney Rd., SE, Suite Q, Lacey, WA 98503; DIS Interactive Technologies, Yesterday's Village, 15 West Yakima Ave., Suite 220, Yakima, WA 99201; DIS Interactive Technologies, North 1101 Argonne, Suite 109, Spokane, WA 99201. Church Humor "Potluck supper: prayer and medication to follow." "A song fest was hell at the Methodist church Wednesday." "Today's Sermon: 'How Much Can a Man Drink?' with hymns from a full choir." "Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community." "Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM. Please use large double door at the side entrance."

A Note On Democracy When the thirteen colonies were still a part of England, Professor Alexander Tyler, a Scottish historian, wrote about the fall of the Athenian republic over 2000 years earlier. He said: "A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's great civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage." Canadian Decision On U.S. Corn Disappointing U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky and Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman recently expressed disappointment over the Canadian government's preliminary decision that U.S. corn exports are injuring Canadian corn producers. "The Canadian government's finding that U.S. corn shipments have depressed Canadian corn prices is completely unsupported by the facts," Ambassador Barshefsky said. "I'm disappointed in the Canadian decision, as corn prices have declined all around the world and have hit both U.S. and Canadian farmers hard," Secretary Glickman said. The Canadian International Trade Tribunal issued a preliminary finding Tuesday that U.S. corn exports are harming Canadian corn producers, despite the fact that corn production in Manitoba has nearly doubled since 1996, and U.S. corn shipments to Canada decreased in 1999 by about $33 million. "Given these numbers, we see no connection between U.S. exports and lower returns to Canadian producers," Ambassador Barshefsky said. The United States said it would request that the Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency postpone its decisions on the countervailing duty and antidumping investigations of this case. The 45-day delay from Nov. 7 would allow full consideration of the information already provided by the U.S. industry, as well as the state and federal governments. "We will closely review this decision and others in this proceeding in light of Canada's obligations under WTO Agreements, and will continue to vigorously defend our producers in all aspects of these cases," Glickman said. Fire & Weeds Hot Topics At Idaho-Utah Range Meeting University Of Idaho Agricultural Communications Fire storms and weed invasions will be on the front burner Nov. 9-10 at the joint meeting of the Idaho and Utah sections of the Society for Range Management in Ogden, Utah. The conference, open to the public, is expected to draw academic and government range managers, researchers, ecologists, livestock producers and representatives of environmental organizations. University of Idaho range ecologist Steve Bunting will be among the featured speakers. Bunting will discuss the influence of fire on maintaining diversity in both plant species and plant communities in the sagebrush-Western juniper ecosystem. Speakers the first day will focus on fire, changing plant communities and people in the Great Basin. Invited speakers include research leader James Young of the USDA Agricultural Research Service's Exotic and Invasive Weed Management Research Unit in Reno, rangeland ecologist Mike Pellant of the Bureau of Land Management in Boise, president-elect Scott Bedke of the Idaho Cattle Association and Dave Nimkin of the Salt Lake City-based environmental consulting firm Confluence Associates. The focus on the second day will be the dynamics and restoration of Great Basin ecosystems. In addition to Bunting, speakers include project leader Robin Tausch of the U.S. Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Research Station in Reno, aspen ecologist Dale Bartos of that station's Logan, Utah, facility and project leader E. Durant McArthur of the USFS's Shrub Sciences Lab in Provo, Utah. The conference will be held at the Marriott Inn, 247 24th St., Ogden. Registration is $35 before Nov. 1 and $45 after, with a separate $22 banquet fee. For more information, contact John Malechek, a Utah State University rangeland resources professor and conference coordinator, at (435) 797-2470 or malechek@cnr.usu.edu. To register in advance, call Stephanie Hamblin at (435) 797-2473 or send e-mail to hamblin@cnr.usu.edu. On-site registration begins at noon Nov. 9, with sessions opening at 1 p.m. Fall 2000 Idaho Agricultural Outlook Healthy Drop In U.S. Dry Bean Supplies Leads To Improved Outlook For 2000-01 Marketing Year University Of Idaho Agricultural Communications A 23 percent drop in U.S. dry edible bean production is "the type of news needed to put some life in the depressed dry bean market," says Paul Patterson, University of Idaho extension agricultural economist in Idaho Falls. Compared with 1999, this year's U.S. planted acreage was down 14 percent, harvested acreage off nearly 16 percent and average yields lower by 8.4 percent, he reports in the UI's Fall 2000 Idaho Agricultural Outlook. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service is now estimating a 25.6 million cwt. U.S. crop for the 2000-01 marketing year-the smallest since 1993 and 4.7 million cwt. below the five-year average. Idaho growers followed the national trend by planting 15,000 fewer acres in 1999 than in 2000-a 14.3 percent reduction-Patterson says. At 90,000 acres, that's the fewest planted acres for Idaho since 1992. The USDA-NASS estimates that Gem State yields averaged 19.0 cwt. on 88,000 harvested acres this year and that 2000 production should total 1.672 million cwt.-21 percent below 1999's. Patterson projects that Idaho growers will be rewarded for their restraint with a $20 per cwt. composite price averaged across Idaho's five largest market classes of dry edible beans. That would be the highest Idaho composite price since the 1997-98 marketing year brought producers $21. By comparison, Idaho's composite price for 1999-00 was $15.10 and the five-year average is $19.50. Should exports fall below USDA-NASS's estimate of 8.0 million cwt. in 2000 and below the five-year-average in 2001, Patterson estimates that the composite price will be $19. Altogether, Pacific Northwest production of dry edible beans should be 14.7 percent below last year's and 3.5 percent below the five-year average, according to USDA-NASS figures. Oregon growers should harvest an average 19.5 cwt. an acre from 11,800 acres and Washington growers 21.5 cwt. from 32,000 acres. Also encouraging is a 3-ounce increase in per-capita domestic consumption of dry edible beans. Nationwide, Americans are expected to eat an estimated 8.1 pounds per person during 2000, thereby boosting demand by about a half-million hundredweight over last year and offering additional support for improved prices. "The price outlook is much more favorable this year than in either of the past two years," writes Patterson, "but as is the case every year, exports hold the key as to how high and how fast bean prices will improve." According to Patterson, trade issues and the strong U.S. dollar "continue to stifle" exports of dry edible beans. From January through May 2000, exports were off 13 percent from a year earlier-the lowest for that five-month period since 1996. "Trying to predict export demand is as risky as predicting the weather," Patterson says. "There are a lot of variables to consider." Assuming exports of 8.0 million cwt. in 2000 and the five-year-average of 8.7 million cwt. in 2001, Patterson projects ending stocks to erode to 3.92 million cwt. in August-down 60 percent from a year ago. "If the theory of economics is valid, this [reduction in carryover stocks] would certainly support higher prices," Patterson says. "The question is, how much and how soon will prices respond?….When prices hit extremely low levels like we've seen in the last two years, they don't always respond as rapidly as a positive change in the fundamentals would suggest." Idaho prices for four of five bean classes have already improved over the close of the 1999-00 marketing year. Pintos, great northerns and small whites are currently trading at around $17.50. Prices for pinks and small reds stand at $14.50 and $15.50, respectively. The Cold, Hard Facts: Make Sure Your Firewood Stacks Up From WSDA Are you buying firewood for the winter? Then pay attention, because many buyers are defrauded every year, losing an average of about $100 each. The only legal measure for firewood sold in Washington is the cord or a fraction of a cord. Many people do not know what a cord is. There is no way to know how much wood you are getting when it is dumped in a pile. A cord is a unit of measurement that is 128 cubic feet. To be sure you have a cord, stack the wood neatly, in a line or a row, with individual pieces touching and parallel to each other. The stack should be compact and have as few gaps as possible. Finally, measure the stack. If the length times the width times the height of the stack is 128 feet, you have a cord. If there is a problem, contact the seller before you burn any wood. "It may cost a bit more; but it is well worth it, to ask that the wood be stacked," said Jerry Buendel, program manager for Weights and Measures at the state Department of Agriculture. "Most people who contact us complain that they get less wood than they pay for. And, most of them are right." Terms such as "unit," "truckload," "face cord," "rack" or "pile" have no legal definition and cannot, therefore, be used as a measure for the amount of firewood being sold. Only packaged wood, such as kindling or a very small bundle of firewood, may be sold by the cubic foot or a fraction of a cubic foot. Protect yourself. Get the seller's phone number and write down the license plate number of the delivery vehicle. Insist the seller provide a receipt. Washington law requires wood sellers to provide an invoice that shows the seller's and buyer's name and address and the date delivered. The invoice should also state the price, the quantity delivered, and the quantity upon which the price is based. Finally, there should be a description of the type and quality of the wood such as oak or fir. "Some consumers invite trouble by leaving checks or cash outside for the wood delivery driver while the homeowners are away," said Buendel. "Others do not venture outside in cold weather to observe the amount of wood being delivered and simply accept the word of the seller that a full cord has been delivered." For information or assistance, call the state Department of Agriculture at 360/902-1857. Brazil Agrees To Expand Access For U.S. Wheat Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman recently announced that Brazil has agreed to re-open its market to imports of U.S. hard red spring wheat and soft red winter wheat. Currently, Brazil only allows imports of hard red winter wheat. "Brazil is expected to be the world's largest wheat importer this year," said Glickman. "So this new market holds significant potential for American farmers needing every possible venue to sell their wheat during these times of record production." In 1996, before Brazil imposed import restrictions on wheat, it purchased roughly 760,000 tons of U.S. wheat, worth $174 million, including 85,800 tons of soft red winter and 42,300 of hard red spring wheat. Today's agreement came after a meeting this morning between Secretary Glickman and the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture and Food Supply, Mr. Pratini de Moraes. The Government of Brazil is expected to publish official notification of its decision by Nov. 15, 2000. Beware Of Unlicensed Or Fraudulent Pesticide Application Firms From WSDA With cold weather moving into the Northwest, spiders and other insects may seek the warm refuge of your home. Beware of fraud or unnecessary service. Before you hire a pest control operator to rid your home of insects, weeds or other pests, make sure he or she is licensed and properly certified. Also, recognize that the person who treats your yard may not be properly certified to apply pesticides to protect your home from insects. "Control of outdoor pests requires different treatments and a different set of skills than treating a home," says Tim Schultz, Spokane area manager of the Pesticide Compliance Program at Department of Agriculture. "The wrong pesticide, or a pesticide applied in the wrong amount, can cause illness or may not work at all." Even yard care firms that mow and trim must have a pesticide license if they apply weed and feed products, a regulation that landscape firms may overlook. "Fall is the time that unscrupulous companies prey on folks trying to prepare their homes for winter," says Schultz. Get true value for your money. Make sure the person you hire meets the following requirements: * For landscape applications, the vehicle or equipment used must display the name and telephone number of the pesticide applicator or the applicator's employer. * For structural treatments, the name and phone number do not need to be on the vehicle, but a current Department of Agriculture apparatus license plate must be on the power equipment. * Pest control operators must be licensed for the particular treatments they apply. For example, a person hired to apply spider barriers around a home foundation must possess a valid Washington state pesticide license with the category of "PCO General," which will appear as "D" on the license. This is separate from the ornamental insect and disease control category, "OC," which enables them to apply pesticides to trees and shrubs. * Pest control operators that treat landscapes must carry Material Safety Data Sheets for the pesticides being used. The pest control operator will provide these sheets to the customer upon written request. * When landscape-type pesticides are applied, the pest control operator must mark the point of entry on the property. This marker must state "This landscape has been treated by…" and "For more information call…" Call Department of Agriculture toll-free at 877/301-4555 for more information. Department of Agriculture licenses and tests pest control operators as part of its mission to protect consumers and safeguard the environment. Before you select a pest control company, you can also check with the Better Business Bureau in your area. Comments On Proposed Overhaul Of Seed Program Rules To Be Heard Nov. 9 From WSDA To provide consistency in certifying, testing, labeling and distribution of agricultural, vegetable and flower seeds, the state Department of Agriculture proposes to update rules governing the seed industry. Public comments will be heard at 10 a.m. Nov. 9 in Conference Room 238 of the Department of Agriculture office, 21 N First Ave., Yakima. Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. the same day. The proposed changes follow several months of input from agency staff and an industry advisory group. If approved, nine chapters of rules would be incorporated into three sections. The first discusses general seed labeling, arbitration, phytosanitary standards and enforcement requirements; the second provides general certification standards for specific crops; and the third contains fee schedules. While the Seed Program operates totally on revenues from industry permits, licenses, assessments and laboratory fees, the proposal does not change the fee schedule. Advisory committee members met this past spring and summer to discuss certification requirements for specific crops. Among items considered were grasses, beans and dry peas, small grains, alfalfa and clover. "The advisory group deserves particular recognition for their valued input," said Graydon Robinson, manager of the Seed Program. "It's taken a tremendous amount of work and cooperation to make the updated rules reflect industry practices and regulatory requirements." Robinson also noted that the update promotes marketing of Washington grown seed in national and international markets. The Department of Agriculture is the official seed-certifying agency for Washington state. Working with the Washington State Crop Improvement Association, more than 120,000 acres of grain, grasses, alfalfa, beans and a large variety of other agricultural crops are certified in this state. Rules governing certification of these crops have been under review to ensure standardization with requirements for clear and readable rules. For information on the rules review process or to suggest updates on any of the general rules or specific crop standards, call the Seed Program in Yakima at (509) 225-2630. Send written comments to Graydon Robinson, Program Manager, Washington State Department of Agriculture, 21 N First Ave., Suite 203, Yakima, WA 98902 or by e-mail to seed@agr.wa.gov.

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