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10 CapitalPress.com October 28, 2016 Washington Ranchers raise $14K Apples remain top Washington state crop for Beef Counts By DAN WHEAT Capital Press By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press Washington ranchers re- cently raised $14,000 to pro- vide beef for families in need. The Grant County Cat- tlemen donated a 550-pound yearling steer during the Top- penish Livestock Commis- sion fall roundup sale Oct. 11. Ranchers bid on the ani- mal and donated it again, a total of 28 times, said Bridget Coon, director of digital strat- egies for the Washington Beef Commission. The money goes to the Beef Counts effort through Second Harvest in Spokane and Food Lifeline in Seattle. The effort supplies meat year- round to local food banks. The food banks use the money to order beef at a wholesale price from the Agri Beef Co. plant in Toppenish. It in turn ships the meat to the food banks, which give it to those in need, Coon said. Research shows that cus- tomers feel good about prod- ucts and brands that give back to their community, Coon said. “This is something that directly helps neighbors and makes consumers feel good about their beef purchases,” she said. The industry aims to raise $100,000 for Beef Counts this year. The Toppenish do- nations put the effort within $314 of that goal. Coon expects to pass the goal by the end of the year with fundraisers in Kittitas County. The 1 millionth serving under the program will be served in Yakima the first week of December. Beef Counts and Second Harvest will offer mobile food banks that week in Ya- kima, Toppenish and Ellens- burg. OLYMPIA — Agricultural production in Washington state set a record of $10.7 billion in 2015 with apples leading the way for the 11th straight year, according to the National Ag- ricultural Statistics Service’s Northwest regional office in Olympia. Total agricultural production was up 5 percent from the pre- vious high of $10.2 billion in 2014. Values excluded govern- ment payments. Much of the increase was in apples, which gained 26.6 percent at $2.39 billion in 2015 up from $1.89 billion in 2014, NASS said. “It’s no accident the apple industry continues to make such a contribution to the state’s ag- riculture. It leads the world in innovation,” said Desmond O’Rourke, retired Washington State University agricultural economist in Pullman. Apple prices were strong in the 2015-2016 sales season Dan Wheat/Capital Press Red Delicious apples are packed at Valicoff Fruit Co., in Wapato, Wash., on Oct. 12. Apples hit a new record farmgate value of $2.4 billion in Washington in 2015, making it the state’s top crop. because the crop, while fourth largest in history, was still small- er than crops in 2014 and 2012. Apples represented 22 per- cent of the state’s total agricul- tural value in 2015 compared with 19 percent in 2014. The industry has invested heavily in superior new apple varieties, new technology in orchards, storage and packing that “delivers outstanding prod- uct 12 months a year,” O’Ro- urke said. Packing and marketing ini- tiatives woo retailers and con- sumers as the industry raises the bar among world competi- tors, he said. Beyond apples the other top four commodities listed by NASS held the same positions as in 2014. Milk remained second at $1.14 billion. However, this was down 30 percent from 2014 and the lowest total since 2010. Cattle and calves, valued at $858 million, were third, a 6.5 percent increase. Potatoes increased slightly to $772 million and remained fourth. Wheat rounded out the top five with a value of $600 million while down 16 percent. All hay was sixth at $499 million, down 29 percent. All cherries were seventh at $477 million, down 12 percent. Eggs were eighth at $331 million, up 87 percent. All grapes were ninth at $296 million, down 1.7 percent. Hops were 10th at $280 mil- lion, up 34.4 percent. Record high production val- ues were set for apples, cattle and calves, eggs and hops while milk, wheat, hay, cherries and grapes all declined. Generally, Washington agriculture is “very healthy,” O’Rourke said, particularly on the crop side because of natural advantages in soil, cli- mate and irrigation. Tree fruit trade groups’ merger effort slows By DAN WHEAT 44-4/#7 Capital Press ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Efforts have slowed to com- bine two trade organizations that handle foreign market is- sues for the Washington tree fruit industry. The Northwest Horticul- tural Council and Northwest Fruit Exporters, both in Ya- kima, have been considering closer operations for two years. “I’d hoped to report we are well on our way, but we hit a roadblock over the sum- mer,” Chris Schlect, presi- dent of NHC, reported at a Washington Apple Commis- sion meeting in Ellensburg, Oct. 20. The plan is for NFE to come “under the umbrella” of NHC, but keep its own reve- nue stream, Schlect said. NHC is ready to make it happen but Mike Saunders, chairman of the NFE board, has concerns, Schlect said, adding he had hoped to have MANY THANKS TO OUR CURRENT AND PAST SPONSORS THAT HAVE MADE THIS ANNUAL MEETING POSSIBLE Attention: Seed Industry Members 2016 WSCIA/WNISA 23 RD ANNUAL JOINT MEETING PREMIER CONVENTION SPONSORS November 14 & 15, 2016 Northern Quest Resort & Casino • Airway Heights, WA Breeding programs and research experts will make presentations of interest to everyone. Topics include new varieties of small grains, seed treatments, certification information, and beyond! Registration form available at washingtoncrop.com, or by calling WSCIA at 509-334-0461. Vendor display space still available! 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MEETING TOPICS SPEAKERS • Small Grain Breeding Program Updates - MONDAY MORNING: • Dr. Drew Lyon Limagrain Cereal Seeds Syngenta University of Idaho Washington State University Oregon State University WestBred Highland Specialty Grains • Dr. Randy Fortenbery WSU Wheat & Small Grains Economist, will speak on the value of wheat in Washington • Dr. Camille Steber from the USDA-ARS Wheat Genetics, Quality, Physiology and Disease Research Unit will present on the science of falling numbers. • WSU Extension Cereal Variety Testing Program and Oregon Elite Yield Trial updates and results Ryan Higginbotham and Mike Flowers • WSDA Seed Lab Advisory Meeting • WSCIA General Membership Meeting PLATINUM CO-SPONSORS WSU Weed Scientist, will present on management of noxious weeds. BANQUET AND RECEPTION – MONDAY NIGHT Silent and live auction to support WNISA scholarships, with special entertainment provided by Limagrain Cereal Seeds. PLEASE JOIN US FOR AN INFORMATIVE AND ENJOYABLE MEETING! Additional meeting and program information available at washingtoncrop.com/annual-meeting 44-4/#14 GOLD CO-SPONSORS • Bratney Companies • The McGregor Company • Pacific NW Farmers Cooperative SILVER CO-SPONSORS • Agventures NW • Crites Seed, Inc. • Michael Dunlap & Associates • Whitgro, Inc. • Reardan Seed Company • Keystone Aniline Corp. • Rainier Seeds, Inc. BRONZE CO-SPONSORS • Central Bean Co. Inc. the effort finished before he retires at the end of March. Later, Schlect said the in- tent is better coordination of NFE and NHC and having a clearer voice at the federal level. He said having NFE remain a separate legal entity with its own board contract- ing with NHC for manage- ment would maintain NFE’s trade certificate allowing shippers to share export in- formation. Contacted later, Saunders, co-owner of Apple King in Yakima, said he personally sees no advantage to joining, that NFE and NHC already coordinate well and that fed- eral agencies know, or can figure out, which one to con- tact. NFE has attorneys check- ing to make sure it can keep its trade certificate if it is managed by NHC, which is involved in lobbying, Saun- ders said. The U.S. Justice Depart- ment is concerned about or- ganizations setting prices on product for domestic con- sumption, but NFE doesn’t do that, Schlect said. The trade certificate al- lows two or more shippers to give NFE information on timing and volumes of ship- ment of cherries to Japan so that NFE can coordinate ef- ficient Japanese inspections for the benefit of all, Schlect said. The shippers don’t nec- essarily know what each oth- er is doing, he said. Another reason for sepa- ration is that NHC and NFE are funded differently, Saun- ders said. NHC is funded by donations from groups such as the Apple Commission, while NFE receives grower assessments, he said. “Basically, we’ve been asked to look into this and we are,” Saunders said. “We need to make sure our board and whole mem- bership are up to speed on this.” NHC was incorporated in 1947 to assist in handling problems common in the Northwest tree fruit industry. It focuses on national and in- ternational policy issues im- pacting growers and shippers in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. NFE was established as a nonprofit corporation in 1985 to manage export market preparation procedures for fresh sweet cherries bound for Japan. In 1992, its role was expanded to include the export of apples to Mexico, China and Japan. In March 2014, at the initiative of the Apple Com- mission, apple market access regarding China, Japan, Viet- nam, India, Australia, South Africa, Egypt and Israel were switched from NFE to NHC. NFE continued handling apple market access to Mex- ico and protocols or work plans for export of apples to foreign countries.
