04/08/05 A potato acreage buy-down

04/08/05 A potato acreage buy-down

Washington Ag April 8, 2005 A potato grower cooperative aimed at stabilizing prices is now up and running in Washington and northern Oregon. Dave Long, CEO of the United Fresh Potato Grower Cooperative of Washington and Oregon says the group is taking part in a national effort to reduce potato acreage this year by 32-thousand acres. Long: "We send what we call bid-buy down forms to the growers and then they decide whether they want to bid any acres or not. Now, if the bid those acres and they are accepted, we will pay them the amount that they bid and then they can plant anything other than potatoes in that ground." The cooperative is also donating several semi loads of russet potatoes to Northwest Harvest in Washington and Oregon for distribution to the needy. In what's believed to be a first for the month of April, the Roza Irrigation District in the Yakima Valley shut off water earlier this week. The district hopes to have water running again in three weeks. Meanwhile, the Department of Ecology says its received 67 requests from water users in the Yakima River basin to drill new or reactivate existing emergency wells. So far its approved 24 requests. Ecology is also evaluating 34 offers from senior water-right holders in the Yakima basin to lease water to junior water-right holders. I'm Bob Hoff.
Previous Report04/07/05 Columbia Basin Water Initiative
Next Report04/11/05 Fewer record low streamflows