Pear Bill Signed Into Law Pt 3
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. A bill just signed by Governor Inslee hopes to give pear farmers the ability to get full value for their crops as the number of growers and processors in Washington gets smaller.
Representative Bruce Chandler says he was very pleased with the reaction his bill got as it moved through the legislature …
CHANDLER … “There’s a lot of interest and there’s also some reservation. And, I think the testimony in the committees in both the House and the Senate, growers that testified there were all very supportive of it and very eager to try it.”
His bill, Chandler says was educational …
CHANDLER … “One of the things I appreciated during this legislative session was that we were able to have public hearings on it and really, it was an opportunity, I thought, to really let other legislators, particularly urban legislators, learn what’s involved in trying to sell our food supply.”
Chandler says ag bills aren’t easy …
CHANDLER … “There’s a few growers and ag-related people that are members of the legislature, but not very many. It is a different way of doing business than what people are usually accustom to.”
Bottom line, Chandler says Washington state’s growers have a lot to be proud of …
CHANDLER … “I believe that Washington state is known for value, and Washington agriculture is, and you know I’m just interested in doing everything I can to see that it continues to be a leader in value as well as volume.”
The bill passed both the House and Senate unanimously.
The bill goes into effect on June 10th.
