Grain Inspections Must Resume

Since early July, there have been no Washington State Department of Ag Grain Inspectors on the job at the United Grain Corporation terminal at the Port of Vancouver. Governor Inslee did not renew the contract with the Washington State Patrol to provide security by escorting the grain inspectors in and out of the picket lines.
The region’s grain industry is very concerned. Letters have been generated to the governor and the USDA Secretary by both the industry as well as several U.S. congressional members urging the inspections to resume.
However, at this time no response has been given by either the USDA secretary or Governor Inslee. So as harvest really begins to pick up steam across the region, this terminal has not shipped out any wheat.
Washington Association of Wheat Growers President Nicole Berg points out
Berg: “There is a legal responsibility for the Federal Grain Inspection Service to provide wheat inspections for our industry. And with that legal obligation, either the federal government or the state government need to step up to the plate.”
Berg says this is a very troubling situation.
Berg: “The United Grain Corporation and the labor union are meeting this week which we have hopes that they will come to some conclusions. But it is very unfortunate because it seems that us the growers who grow the raw product have the tendency to have a lot of things out of our control and we become the innocent victims in this situation.”