Critical Blood Supply & Help For Dairy

Critical Blood Supply & Help For Dairy.  I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

The Puget Sound Blood Center says the Group O blood supply - considered the universal blood group - has reached a critical level in Western Washington. Due to extreme temperatures, the organization has cancelled or cut short dozens of blood drives. Now total collections are down nearly 700 units. A blood type is considered at "critical" inventory level when it reaches a two-day supply, as opposed to a four-day operational inventory.

Dairy-state Senators say Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack has agreed to temporarily raise milk price supports to help financially-strapped producers. Senator Patrick Leahy says we are all in this together.

LEAHY: If we don’t increase dairy price supports were going to have dairy all over, not just in Vermont but throughout the country go under. That’s the message we’ve given to the Secretary of Agriculture from all parts of the country, we’re all untied in this. It’s not the Northeast against the Midwest or against the Southwest, we’re all united. We’ve got to get dairy price supports up. The Secretary – the first time we’ve heard from the Secretary who’s willing to do it, to the extent he can find the money we will see an increase.

Now here’s today’s Washington Grange Report.

(GRANGE)

That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.