10 CapitalPress.com
February 13, 2015
Idaho
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Idaho ag exports
double over six years
Capital Press
Idaho’s agricultural exports
— led by wheat and followed by
dairy — are soaring, growing to
$2.59 billion in 2013, according
to state export data released by
USDA Economic Research Ser-
vice on Jan. 30.
The state’s ag exports in
2013 were double its 2007
exports, which totaled nearly
$1.32 billion.
Global economic growth and
an expanding middle class, par-
ticularly in Asia, are driving the
increase in Idaho’s exports, said
Laura Johnson, market develop-
ment bureau chief at Idaho State
Department of Agriculture.
China, for example, has 300
million middle-class consumers
demanding higher-value prod-
ucts, greater variety and more
convenience, she said.
Quality and safety are be-
coming increasingly important
in food purchases, and consum-
ers around the world know they
can rely on the quality and safe-
ty of Idaho products, she said.
In addition, Idaho exporters
are providing the kinds of prod-
ucts consumers are seeking, she
said. Idaho ag exports ranked
20th in the nation in 2013 and
claimed prestigious rankings in
specifi c products, according to
USDA statistics.
The state’s exports ranked
fourth in dairy, fi fth in both fresh
and processed vegetables, sixth
in wheat, ninth in beef, 10th in
livestock, and 10th in “other”
— which includes such items as
sugar products, planting seeds,
horticulture products, and pro-
cessed foods.
Canada and Mexico were
Idaho’s largest customer in
2013, accounting for nearly 40
percent of the state’s ag exports.
But imports by Asian countries
were also signifi cant, account-
ing for about 36 percent of Ida-
ho’s exports, according to data
from Global Trade Information
Services.
USDA doesn’t provide state
data on export destination, but
its Economic Research Service
does a better job of capturing
the state origin of exports. GTIS
Idaho agricultural
exports (Billions of dollars)
Source: USDA
Economic Research
Service
1.64
1.32
2.59
2.24 2.18
1.62
1.3
Up 18.8%
from 2012
2007
’09
’11
2013
Top Idaho ag exports
in 2013 (Millions of dollars)
Item
Total
Wheat
Dairy
Processed
vegetables
Beef and veal
Fresh vegetables
Feeds and fodder
$503
428.8
234.2
171.5
130.1
106.7
Carol Ryan Dumas and Alan Kenaga/
Capital Press
credits a lot of Idaho’s export
products to other states where
they head for markets through
brokers and other companies,
Johnson said.
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John O’Conell/Capital Press
Amphibian expert Wild Bill Toady hosts a sporting event featuring several species of toads for young
fans during the North Bannock County Fair in August 2013. The Bannock County Commission has
decided to cancel the North Fair, which had an urban theme, to emphasize the more popular South
Bannock County Fair in Downey, Idaho, which focuses on agriculture.
Bannock County
consolidates fairs
By JOHN O’CONNELL
Capital Press
POCATELLO, Idaho —
The Bannock County Com-
mission has dissolved a
long-running, local fair with
an urban theme in order to
place greater emphasis on
its more popular rural fair in
Downey.
County
Commission-
er Howard Manwaring said
ending Pocatello’s North
Fair should free up at least
$50,000 more to invest in
the South Fair, which enjoys
greater attendance and more
4-H participation.
“We’ve been looking at
the records,” Manwaring said.
“All the way back to 1957,
commissioners and the Fair
Board were concerned be-
cause the North Fair was do-
ing so poorly. Even though we
had a few 4-H kids, most of
the 4-H program was already
in the South County.”
The North Fair’s major
draws have been a free baked
potato feast and a few beauty
pageants, Manwaring said.
Manwaring recalled visit-
ing with a young girl who was
distraught after showing a
goat at the North Fair, and no
spectators came by to see her
animal. He believes youths
with 4-H projects will enjoy a
better experience in Downey,
which is a 30-minute drive
from Pocatello.
He emphasized 4-H pro-
grams will also continue at
the North Fairgrounds, where
a new 4-H building was con-
structed last year. This month,
Traci Kirby started working as
Bannock County’s new youth
development educator, based
in Pocatello. Kirby hopes to
revive the community’s for-
mer bucket calf program.
“I think it’s going to be
awesome change from ev-
erything I’m hearing,” Kirby
said. “The livestock program
has been huge in Downey, and
not so much up here.”
Reed Findlay, University
of Idaho Extension educator
for Bingham and Bannock
counties, said the South Fair-
grounds should accommodate
all of the animal projects from
Pocatello. Findlay said he’s
fi elded several calls from peo-
ple asking questions about the
change, but few have opposed
it.
Bannock Couty Fair Board
Chairman Sheldon Barfuss
said the change was sudden
and unforeseen, but he be-
lieves it was the right call.
“When there are more vol-
unteers there than patrons, we
need to look at this,” Barfuss
said. “If you read the Idaho
statutes of what a county fair
is supposed to be, it leads me
to believe that county fairs be-
long in the country.”
Manwaring said the addi-
tional revenue from the North
Fair will enable the county
to continue upgrades of the
Downey facilities. New re-
strooms have already been
completed in Downey, and
new bleachers are planned
this summer at the grandstand.
Manwaring said the county
also has plans to upgrade the
concession area and corrals
and to build new buildings to
“house some of the programs
that will go from the north to
the south.” He said tents may
be used during this August’s
fair to help organizers deter-
mine the best locations for
permanent facilities.
At the North Fairgrounds,
the county plans to improve
its equestrian facilities to lure
back horse cutting and racing
events, and to attract more ro-
deos. The Idaho Department
of Fish and Game recently
installed a children’s fi shing
pond on the grounds, and the
Portneuf Health Care Founda-
tion intends to invest $12 mil-
lion to build an amphitheater
and sports complex there.
Ag Dept. requests funding for 6 new positions
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
The Idaho State Depart-
ment of Agriculture is request-
ing $149,800 in additional
funding and spending author-
ity for $420,300 for six new
positions to meet its growing
workload.
A growing workload “is a
good problem to have. It’s a
sign that agriculture overall is
doing very well,” ISDA Direc-
tor Celia Gould said on Friday.
It’s a tremendous time for
Idaho agriculture, she said.
Farm income is at record highs,
exports are booming, farm gate
receipts have never been better,
and debt-to-asset ratios are at
record lows.
The additional general fund
request would increase the
agency’s total FY2015 budget
to $29,265,400 from the current
$29,115,600.
Gould presented the agen-
cy’s budget requests to the state
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By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Legislature’s Joint Finance-Ap-
propriations Committee in Boi-
se earlier this week.
Legislative approval of IS-
DA’s requests would add two
positions in the agency’s range
program, one position in hu-
man resources, two positions
in animal industries, and one
position to facilitate the feder-
al Specialty Crop Block Grant
program in the state.
It would also authorize
ISDA to increase spending in
its weights and measures pro-
gram.
The agency’s highest prior-
ity is enhancement of its range
program with two addition-
al positions, a range program
manager and a technical re-
cords specialist, due to a sig-
nifi cant change in workload,
Gould said.
This year, ISDA negotiated
and signed a memorandum of
understanding with the Bureau
of Land Management in which
ISDA will advise and coor-
dinate with more than 1,600
ranchers who graze on BLM
allotments to ensure range pho-
to monitoring is being followed
in accordance with BLM proto-
cols.
BLM has agreed to accept
the data and use it in its grazing
permit renewal process. The
lack of recent photo data has
hindered BLM in its permit re-
newal decisions and resulted in
widespread reductions in graz-
ing, Gould said.
ISDA is looking to enhance
its range-monitoring service
with the U.S. Forest Service as
well, she said.
Another top priority is
bringing in someone to lead
ISDA’s human resources de-
partment, which is stretched
thin. The agency’s employee
numbers range from 190 to as
many as 600 due to a high de-
mand for fresh fruit and vegeta-
ble inspection services as well
as invasive species and pest in-
spections, Gould said.
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