10/10/06 Grain inspection certificate delivery

Washington Ag October 10, 2006 The Washington State Department of Agriculture is pleased with its new web-based automated delivery system for grain inspection certificates. WSDA Deputy Director Bob Gore says in the past paper inspection certificates were issued which was a labor intensive process and dependent on the U.S mail. Gore: "Now with the use of this web-based automation program, as soon as the inspection data is entered it is available for customers, anybody who is signed up with us and is a customer, and they can download that information and print that certificate at their desk. So, it has been a great asset to the industry in terms of timeliness of results, being able affect payment to growers sooner. They can trade these electronic certificates if they have interested buyers in the quality of product they have. And it has been a good return on investment for use because it made us more efficient in the labor that we use." Gore says the grain industry has really embraced the system with 98 percent of inspections conducted in eastern Washington this year being electronically certified. I'm Bob Hoff.