04/05/07 Barley straw bill; veggie acres

Washington Ag April 5, 2007 Studies have shown that barley straw can reduce the growth of algae in ponds and the use of the straw for that purpose is a niche market for some farmers. However, existing state law requires a water discharge permit for the practice. That is something State Senator Mark Shoesler set out to correct with Senate Bill 5113. Here is what the Senator told the House Agriculture Committee at a hearing recently. Shoesler: "It is not a big deal for the ag economy. It is just making one of those silly little things in government right." Senate Bill 5113 has now passed both chambers in the legislature and is on the way to the governor for her consideration. The acreage of asparagus for harvest in Washington is down again this year. The Washington Agricultural Statistics Service says about 75-hundred acres will be harvested, down 15-hundred acres from 2006. The state's farmers intend to keep summer onion plantings the same as last year at 15-hundred acres but to increase storage onion acreage slightly to 20,500 acres. Contract intentions for sweet corn in Washington are reported at 79,800 acres, about a half a percent less than 2006. Processing green pea acreage at 38,800 would be up 13 percent. I'm Bob Hoff.