Prospective Planting Reports & Assessing Agricultural Damage

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service wheat producers in Washington have planted an estimated 2.25 million total acres in 2014, up 3 percent from 2013. Planted winter wheat acres are expected to total 1.65 million acres this year, down 2 percent from last year, while spring wheat acres planted are estimated at 600,000 acres, up 20 percent from 2013. Acres planted to barley in Washington are estimated at 130,000 acres, down 33 percent from last year. Acres planted to corn are expected to remain unchanged in Washington this year with 190,000. All hay acres harvested in Washington for 2014 are expected to be down 1 percent this year with and estimated 750,000 acres.

Ag Network's Greg Martin has an important announcement from the Snohomish County Farm Service Agency.

MARTIN: Farmers and ranchers in Snohomish County are being asked by their local Farm Service Agency to help in assessing agricultural damage from the March 22 mudslide. USDA uses such information to determine a need for disaster declarations, which trigger availability of emergency loans and in some instances additional disaster assistance programs. Agricultural damage reports include damage done to crops, as well as structures, fences, homes, shops, farmland and livestock. Documentation of damage should include the specific location of the farm damage, the type of damage, what was affected by the disaster and the estimated percent of loss.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.