Stone Fruit Assessment, Meat Ban, & Proposed Export Terminal

Stone Fruit Assessment, Meat Ban, & Proposed Export Terminal

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” has paid off for the state’s cherry and stone fruit growers who recently approved a referendum measure to contribute $5 million over the next eight years for research and development projects at WSU. 68 percent of stone fruit growers and 59 percent of cherry growers approved the increased assessments of $4 per ton on cherries and $1 per ton on peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots.

Beginning this week Russia has suspended all imports of U.S. meats into that country based on a zero tolerance for the generally accepted as safe animal feed additive ractopamine. Chief U.S. Agricultural Negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representatives Office, Issi Siddiqui had this to say when Russia first announced such intentions.

SIDDIQUI: If they feel they need to have more strict requirements than under their WTO commitments, then they need to produce an internationally acceptable risk assessment.

Top Washington ag exports to Russia from 2008 - 2010 included fish and fish products, fresh fruit, poultry, and fresh, chilled, and frozen red meats.

During a public comment period between September and January the Department of Ecology received more than 124 thousand comments on the scope of an upcoming environmental impact statement for a proposed bulk-cargo shipping terminal, and rail spur improvements at Cherry Point. The terminal would provide storage and handling of exported and imported dry bulk commodities. Lead agencies Whatcom County, DOE, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to issue a scoping report in the next few weeks with a thorough assessment of the comments.

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Ag Information Network.