A budget for the Washington Grain Commission

Washington Ag Today May 27, 2008 The first budget of the new Washington Grain Commission will total just under six million dollars. The spending plan was approved last week by the boards of the Washington Wheat and Barley Commissions. Those two entities are being dissolved and will be replaced by the Grain Commission in July.

Over half of the budget, 56 percent, will be spent on research, most of that at Washington State University. Grower Hal Johnson, who will be the chairman of the new Grain Commission, comments.

Johnson: “We have tried to begin to explore new research projects and be helpful to WSU in their time of limited budget resources. So we are encouraged. We have opened some new communications about research with WSU and think that has helped us put together a really good program.”

The research portion of the budget includes 1.5 million dollars that could be used for another endowed chair at WSU for targeted research or as a source for money to fund targeted research.

About 15 percent of the Grain Commission budget will fund market development activities for wheat and barley including U.S. Wheat Associates, the Wheat Marketing Center and the U.S. Grain Council. The remainder of the budget is for grower services including funds for the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, professional services and support, policy development and office operations.

The Grain Commission will be funded by the existing assessments on wheat and barley sales.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.