Pesticide Education & Ag Thefts

Growing season is underway here in the northwest and with that comes the spraying of chemicals on farmland and that includes pesticides. Ann Ketter of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Pesticides Program says that's why getting key messages out to applicators, no matter who they are, is important.

KETTER:  Right now we have a lot of crops just starting their growth period. They are very sensitive then. So during bud break, it's good to know what's going on around you– your crops as well as crops in neighbors' yards. Read those directions, pay attention to what the label is saying, and also communicate with your neighbors.

It appears that the farm is the next target for an international crime ring. Seems that California is having an issue with the theft of high-value almonds and other nuts. Truckloads of the nuts are going missing as thieves just drive off with trucks and the nuts. The value of these can go to upwards of $500-thousand dollars a load. These nuts are then finding their way to the European or Asian back markets. Last year 31 reports totaled some $4.6 million dollars. Authorities are scrambling to find a way to stop the thefts and are raising the alarm for other high dollar commodities. We'll keep you posted on this interesting and alarming story.

That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.