09/16/05 Taiwanese ag group coming to Idaho

Taiwan will buy 14 and a half million metric tons of US wheat, soybeans and corn in 2006 and 2007. The wheat purchase totals 372 million dollars but the corn and soybean deal is worth more than two point two billion dollars. Taiwan has already purchased more than ten million metric tons of wheat and is interested in soft white wheat grown in Idaho. That's why the Taiwan Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission will visit Idaho and eight other states. Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Saxby Chambliss was at the Capital Hill signing ceremony earlier this week. CHAMBLISS "We're very strategic partners not the least of which is in agricultural trade. With this memorandum of understanding Taiwan now becomes out sixth largest agricultural trading partner." When you talk about salmon recovery, people will talk about breaching, hydropower, harvest, wild vs. hatchery, flow and spill, dueling data, fiscal responsibility, and the courts. Obviously there are serious disagreements from all quarters. That's why the Idaho Council on Industry and the Environment and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council are teaming up to present "Practical Paths to Salmon Recovery, Part II," October 4 and 5th. This Boise workshop will bring together the top experts from throughout the region to examine the many facets of the question and to make clearer the boundaries of the debate. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott