Washington entities get 900-thousand dollars in value added grants from USDA
Washington Ag Today June, 4, 2010 Seven entities in Washington are receiving business development and marketing assistance through the USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grant program. The announcement made yesterday includes nearly 900-thousand dollars for the Washington recipients. Columbia Plateau Producers is getting 300-thousand dollars to expand its marketing capacity. The organization of 21 wheat growers in Washington, Oregon and Idaho grow wheat milled into high quality flour marketed to bakeries, food manufacturers and flour marketers in the Pacific Northwest under the “Shepherd’s Grain” brand. Other Washington recipients are Crown S Ranch, 110-thousand dollars; Red Mountain Viticulture, 120-thousand; AHG Related Properties, 300-thousand, Whidbey Island Meat Processing Steering Committee, 15-thousand dollars, Wilcox Farms, 49-thousand and Stemlit Growers 50-thousand dollars. During a webinar this week on economic factors impacting meat and dairy product prices, Washington State University Extension Economist Shannon Neibergs, had an outlook for milk prices into 2011 for producers in the state that’s wasn’t all that bright. Neibergs: “Certainly not a lot of milk price enthusiasm, milk price growth relief for the profitability concerns that happened in 2009. So, again it points to limited price improvement in Washington‘s milk price over the year.” I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net. ? ? ?
