State Budget Proposals and Prospective Plantings

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

State legislators are now focused on reaching an agreement between the House and Senate budget proposals. Ag Network's Greg Martin highlights some of the proposals for ag related funding.

MARTIN: The House and Senate both proposed funding $7.6 million from the Public Works Assistance Account to the Voluntary Stewardship Program. The Senate provided $575 thousand for the Ag Dairy Nutrient Management Program, which provides training in agronomic application of dairy nutrients. When it came to wolf management the House funded $850 thousand to commission a facilitator to work with the state Fish and Wildlife Wolf Advisory Group and stakeholders, while the Senate provided $421 thousand to SB 5960, which requires the WDFW to update its wolf management plan.

The USDA NASS NW Regional Field Office recently released prospective 2015 planting estimates for wheat, barley and hay. Washington is estimated to have 2.38 million total acres planted to wheat in 2015, up 3 percent from last year. Winter wheat planted acres are expected to total 1.75 million acres, up 3 percent from 2014. Spring wheat acres planted are estimated at 630,000 acres, up 2 percent from last year. Acres planted to barley in Washington are estimated at 95,000 acres, down 17 percent from the previous year. And all hay harvested acres in Washington is expected to be 830,000 acres down 5 percent from last year.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray with the Ag Information Network of the West.