Good News/Bad News for Washington Apples & Bighorn Sheep Bill

Good News/Bad News for Washington Apples & Bighorn Sheep Bill

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Washington’s 129.2 million box apple crop has been selling quite well, averaging $27 per box. Unfortunately China, which has been viewed as a potentially large market for Washington apples, shut out all U.S. apples this past fall over alleged pest concerns. Todd Fryhover, President of the Washington State Apple Commission, comments on challenges to international market access this year.

FRYHOVER: We have no legal access into China as of August, and haven’t had any resolution to that. We also have a few issues in Indonesia, which is a large market for our small Red Delicious specifically. And that’s about new regulations that are going into enforcement that are prohibitive or narrow the focus - the amount of people that can actually be involved in importing apples.

Currently, the Department of Fish and Wildlife can pay up to $150,000 per year for commercial crop damage caused by deer or elk, but bighorn sheep are not included as a species for which state compensation is available. Under Senate Bill 5760, crop damage compensation would include damage caused by bighorn sheep. For eligibility, property owners must be involved in commercial agriculture with an agricultural income of at least $10,000 a year, and must have taken preventive measures to address wildlife damage, and not have insurance that covers the loss. The State Senate has unanimously approved bill 5760 and it is now scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources March 14.

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