WHIP+ Reauthorization Pt 1

WHIP+ Reauthorization Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. The House Ag Committee has passed a bill to provide needed relief to ag producers impacted by things like wildfires and drought.

U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse, co-chair of the Congressional Wine Caucus, introduced the WHIP+ Reauthorization Act …

NEWHOUSE … “High temperatures, I mean, I’ve lived in the Yakima Valley my whole life. I never remember, ever, seeing temperatures pushing 120 degrees for extended periods of time. So, this is unusual. This is something that this legislation is trying to address to include some of the things that producers are experiencing right now as it relates to these unusual weather events.”

Given the year we’ve seen, Newhouse says more relief is needed …

NEWHOUSE … “We’re building on the current process and the current system of disaster assistance by including some of the things that we’re seeing right now, the drought, the high temperatures, the conditions that we don’t naturally and normally see.”

The heat is bad enough, but then, Newhouse says there’s the wildfires …

NEWHOUSE … “Even a new thing over the last couple of years, the condition of smoke taint which is very negatively impacting several of our crops in Central Washington, including wine grapes and hops as well as other crops.”

Tune in tomorrow for more on the assistance offered by the WHIP+ Reauthorization Act.

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