November 17, 2017
CapitalPress.com
15
WDFW confirms second wolf attack in a week
Calf killed in
fenced pasture
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
Washington wildlife man-
agers have confirmed a second
wolf attack on cattle in Novem-
ber on private land in northern
Ferry County, one depredation
shy of possibly triggering the
state’s third lethal-removal op-
eration this year.
The Department of Fish and
Wildlife reported Tuesday that
a calf found dead Nov. 8 in a
large fenced pasture was killed
by at least one wolf. WDFW
had earlier determined Nov. 3
that a calf owned by the same
rancher was injured by wolves.
Department policy calls for
it to consider killing one or two
wolves after three depredations
within 30 days, or four within
10 months.
The attacks occurred out-
side the territory of any of
northeast Washington’s 15
packs, WDFW said. “Whether
we designate a pack or not, we
would consider lethal remov-
al,” WDFW wolf policy coor-
dinator Donny Martorello said.
WDFW killed two wolves
in the Smackout pack in Ste-
vens County and one wolf
in the Sherman pack in Fer-
ry County this year to stop
chronic depredations. In 2016,
WDFW killed seven wolves in
the Profanity Peak pack, also in
Ferry County.
The two depredations this
month occurred fewer than
3 miles from where anoth-
er rancher shot and killed a
wolf that was attacking cattle.
WDFW said the shooting was
lawful.
Cattle Producers of Wash-
ington President Scott Nielsen
said the incidents show that
WDFW has not been success-
ful in stopping repeated depre-
dations.
“To me, we have a chronic
problem,” he said. “It frustrates
me to no end.
“The wolves are moving
into the ranchers’ backyards.”
The wolf attacks, which oc-
curred near the Canadian bor-
der, have come unusually late
in the year. In previous years,
depredations on livestock have
generally ended in Septem-
ber or October when cattle
are moved off public grazing
lands. It’s also unusual for
WDFW investigators to not be
able to identify the wolfpack
responsible for the attacks.
The rancher whose calves
were attacked checked on the
cattle multiple times a day, ac-
cording to WDFW.
“It’s a sign that anytime
you have wolves and livestock,
there’s a potential for conflict,”
Martorello said.
USDA report shows lower
Northwest spud production
GOP House
members support
DACA negotiations
By JOHN O’CONNELL
WASHINGTON, D.C.
— U.S. Rep. Dan Ne-
whouse, R-Wash., led a
press conference with 13
Republican House repre-
sentatives Nov. 9 urging
fellow members to sup-
port ongoing negotiations
by House Republican
leaders for legislative
solution for DACA bene-
ficiaries before the end of
the year.
“We need a solution to
get 218 House votes, 60
votes in the Senate, or there
is no deal,” Newhouse said.
“No bill is going to be per-
fect but inaction is just not
acceptable.”
The Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrival is
a two-year renewable de-
ferral of deportation with
work authorization granted
Capital Press
Potato production was
down throughout the Pacif-
ic Northwest during 2017,
driven by acreage reductions
in Idaho and lower yields in
Washington and Oregon, ac-
cording to a Nov. 9 USDA
report.
USDA’s National Agri-
cultural Statistics Service
estimated Idaho’s 2017 po-
tato production at 131.325
million
hundredweight,
down nearly 8 million hun-
dredweight from the 2016
harvest.
Idaho’s average yield,
estimated at 425 hundred-
weight per acre, was down
by 5 hundredweight from the
previous year. But the state’s
growers also planted 15,000
fewer acres this season, with
total 2017 planting estimat-
ed at 310,000 acres. Many
in the Idaho potato industry,
however, believe USDA’s
statewide yield estimate was
inflated.
Washington
growers
produced 99 million hun-
dredweight of potatoes, a
reduction of 6.625 million
hundredweight from 2016.
While Washington growers
planted 5,000 fewer acres,
with a total potato crop of
165,000 acres, their average
yields, at 600 hundredweight
per acre, were down by 25
hundredweight.
Oregon’s production was
down 2.161 million hun-
dredweight, at 20.79 million
hundredweight.
Oregon’s
yields dropped 40 hundred-
weight per acre to 550 hun-
dredweight per acre, and its
planted acreage, at 38,000
to children of
illegal immi-
grants who
came to the
U.S. under 15
years of age.
It was granted
by executive
Dan
order by Pres-
Newhouse ident Barack
Obama in 2012.
Calling the order “un-
constitutional,” Attorney
General Jeff Sessions an-
nounced Sept. 5 that the
program will end March 5.
Tom Roach, a Pasco,
Wash., immigration attor-
ney who has helped 440
people get DACA defer-
rals, has estimated that 5 to
10 percent of the 800,000
people benefiting from
DACA work in agriculture.
— Dan Wheat
John O’Connell/Capital Press
Potatoes are transloaded following harvest in Eastern Idaho on Sept. 11. A new USDA report shows
Idaho potato production was down nearly 8 million hundredweight this season.
acres, was down by 1,000
acres.
California growers in-
creased potato production
slightly to 3.69 million hun-
dredweight, with average
yields up by 5 hundredweight
to 450 hundredweight per
acre. They planted 8,200 po-
tato acres, up by 300 acres.
Total fall potato produc-
tion in the U.S. was about
399 million hundredweight,
down almost 8 million hun-
dredweight.
Idaho Potato Commission
President and CEO Frank
Muir described the USDA
yield estimate for his state as
“optimistic” and said United
Potato Growers of Idaho’s
estimates have come in much
lower. Muir added that de-
mand is strong and IPC’s pro-
grams will further drive sales.
“We anticipate this to be
a very strong, profitable year
for Idaho,” Muir said. “I
think prices will continue to
strengthen as we go through
the year.”
Oakley, Idaho, farmer
Randy Hardy, chairman of the
board at Sun Valley Potatoes,
said fresh prices have already
begun to strengthen. He said
returns to growers are more
than $3 per hundredweight
above where they were at this
time last season.
Based on grower reports,
Hardy also believes Idaho
yields were down more than
USDA estimated.
“The fact that we’re down
at all is positive, especially
when teamed up with an acre-
age reduction,” Hardy said.
Given the cold weather
during harvest, Idaho Falls
grower Merrill Hanny be-
lieves more spuds could be
bruised and “we may not have
as much available to the fresh
market as the numbers might
make you think.”
“The growers are getting,
say, 30 percent more (returns)
than last year already,” Han-
ny said. “We’ve had three
tough years in a row, so it’s
very welcome and very much
needed.”
But Aberdeen, Idaho,
farmer Ritchey Toevs said the
cold weather could also help
growers, as potatoes that go
into storage when it’s cool
tend to store better.
TPP movement continues, minus U.S.
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
The 11 remaining coun-
tries in the Trans-Pacific Part-
nership this week announced
they are moving ahead with
the trade agreement after the
U.S. abandoned it last winter.
The development isn’t a
surprise, U.S. agricultural ex-
porters say.
The countries participat-
ing in the newly renamed
Comprehensive and Progres-
sive Agreement for Trans-Pa-
cific Partnership are Austra-
lia, Brunei, Canada, Chile,
Japan, Malaysia, Mexico,
New Zealand, Peru, Singa-
pore and Vietnam.
“It’s definitely not a sur-
prise,” said Joe Schuele, vice
president of communications
for the U.S. Meat Export
Associated Press File
Federation. “Japan has been Frozen beef from the U.S. will face a 50 percent Japanese tariff without the Trans-Pacific Partnership
particularly vocal about mov- trade agreement. The U.S. pulled out of the treaty last winter, but the remaining 11 nations still want to
ing forward with the agree- put it into effect.
ment. Several participants
were fairly adamant that they
wanted to move forward even porters in the Japanese mar- dialogue with Japan is con- crease from 38.5 percent to 50
after the United States with- ket, he said.
tinuing, headed by Vice Pres- percent by next March.
drew.”
Canada, Mexico and ident Mike Pence and Japan’s
U.S. wheat exporters
President Donald Trump Chile are in the best position Minister of Finance.
weren’t surprised by the
withdrew from TPP in Janu- to supply pork to Japan, he
“Certainly there are a lot 11-nation trade effort, either.
ary.
said. Their existing economic of calls for the U.S. to pursue
“We are unable to go on
The new deal has the po- agreements already give them a bilateral trade agreement record commenting about a
tential to put U.S. exporters at some advantage in the market with Japan, but that doesn’t possible TPP-11 right now
a disadvantage in key markets over U.S. exporters.
appear to be atop Japan’s list other than to say the possi-
such as Japan and Vietnam,
An agreement between Ja- of priorities right now,” he bility is an inevitable result
Schuele said.
pan and the European Union said. “We feel we have a very of U.S. withdrawal from the
Japan is the largest mar- reached over the summer is well-established and loyal agreement,” said Steve Mer-
ket in value for U.S. beef and also a concern, Schuele said. customer base in Japan, but to cer, vice president of com-
pork.
The EU is the largest pork maintain that, you still need munications for U.S. Wheat
Australian beef already competitor for the U.S., he to be priced competitively. It Associates.
has a significant tariff advan- said.
becomes more difficult to be
In the past, U.S. Wheat
tage in Japan over any other
“That agreement with the priced competitively if you’re has suggested the develop-
supplier. If a modified TPP EU contains provisions simi- paying higher tariffs than ev- ment of new free trade agree-
agreement proceeds, it would lar to what were negotiated in eryone else.”
ments rather than withdraw-
benefit Canadian, New Zea- the TPP,” he said.
The tariff on U.S. frozen ing from or renegotiating
land and Mexican beef ex-
Schuele said an economic beef exports to Japan will in- agreements.
Matthew Weaver/Capital Press
Washington State University small grains economist Randy
Fortenbery answers a question during the Tri-State Grain
Growers Convention in Spokane.
Storing wheat riskier than
selling it, economist says
Not much
room for price
improvement,
Fortenbery says
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
SPOKANE — Wheat
prices won’t rise enough
in the near future to make
storing grain a safe bet, a
university economist says.
Cash prices are increas-
ing slightly, but not enough
to cover storage costs, Ran-
dy Fortenbery, small grains
economist at Washington
State University, told the
Tri-State Grain Growers
Convention.
Patience in pricing next
year’s wheat crop is less
risky than storing the last
harvest, he said.
He told farmers he
doesn’t see much room
for higher market prices
over the next few months,
unless led by a rally in the
futures market.
“What we need is a big
rally, $1.10 or $1.20, to
cover storage costs going
forward,” he said.
Options in the futures
market are cheap due to
low volatility, Fortenbery
said, about the same as the
cost of storing wheat.
Fortenbery cautioned
farmers that it’s a “purely
speculative venture.”
“You’re probably go-
ing to lose,” he said. “But
you’ll lose less than if
you’re holding cash inven-
tory. You’re probably go-
ing to lose on that as well,
and you’re not just going
to lose the storage costs. If
prices continue that down-
trend we’ve seen over
the last several months ...
you’ll lose money in the
value of the inventory as
well as the cost of holding
onto it.”
Instead of storing in-
ventory and hoping pric-
es increase, Fortenbery
recommends farmers buy
call options, which he said
he “almost never” does.
Someone who buys a call
option will make money
if the futures price rises
above the strike price of
the call plus the premium
and the cost of the transac-
tion.
Holding physical inven-
tory is expensive, Forten-
bery said, and maximizes
the risk when speculating
on future wheat prices.
Fortenbery said prices
have remained within a
40-cent range, of $4.40 to
$4.80 per bushel, so down-
side risk appears to be lim-
ited. Hard red winter wheat
exports have increased,
which is positive, but the
market anticipated that and
didn’t respond, he said.
Prices are driven by
the global market. Con-
sumption has been below
production for the last five
years, so inventories have
been growing globally.
“This is confusing peo-
ple because we have de-
clining wheat acres signifi-
cantly ... yet we have the
second-lowest price that
we’ve had in a decade,”
Fortenbery said.
The decline is happen-
ing nationwide. Washington
and Oregon were unchanged
from last year, while Idaho
reduced by 10,000 acres,
Fortenbery said.