The Pacific Northwest Ag Network Report airs daily, Monday through Friday, during the 5, 6, and 7 AM hours on 920 News Now. Glenn Vaagen and the Pacific Northwest Ag Network team bring you the most in-depth ag news focused on products grown across the region each morning. They connect you with the latest research at WSU, OSU, and the University of Idaho, commodity group leaders, and state and federal lawmakers.
PNW AG Network News
CoBank: Tariffs Compounding Economic Anxiety
A new report from CoBank says rapidly worsening expectations about everything from inflation to personal income to business conditions and labor supplies are elevating economic concerns in farm country. The question of whether the declining expec...
2h ago
Farm Groups Welcome Review Of USAID
When the Trump Administration took office, and established DOGE, one of the first programs that was reviewed, and eventually dismantled, was USAID. The Administration said the $40 billion organization, which employed thousands of people, was...
2h ago
USDA Few Changes To International Domestic Wheat Markets
Not a lot of changes to report in USDA’s April global wheat production forecast. But, there was some activity of note in the world wheat supply and demand ledger. “In particular, we reduced Chinas wheat imports by three million tons this month, which brings them down to only 3.5 million tons of feed exp... ...
2h ago
Could Lottery Dollars Be Used To Fight Oregon Wildfires?
Oregon lawmakers are trying to find a regular source of funding to pay for fighting wildfires. Fighting wildfires across the state costs around $300 million annually. The Legislature is trying to find a regular source to pay that ...
2h ago
Thousands Accept Buyouts at USDA
Thousands of workers have reportedly accepted the Trump administration’s buyout offers at the USDA. E & E News says employees who’ve seen the internal numbers at USDA say the count has reached 3,100 at the Forest Service, 1,200 at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and possibly up to 12,000...
2h ago
Salinas Says Proposal Will Help Rural Americans See Specialists
A rural Oregon healthcare program could soon become the model for a nationwide pilot project. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas is behind a bipartisan effort to expand access to medical specialists. “We know that access to specialty care services is more limited for so many rural communities," Salinas said. "...
2h ago
Legislation Would Expand Access to Meat and Poultry
South Dakota senator Mike Rounds has reintroduced the “New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act.” The bipartisan legislation would allow meat and poultry products inspected by state Meat and Poultry Inspection Programs to be sold across state lines. Currently, meat and... Continue reading&hellip...
2h ago
Could Changes Be Coming To Oregon's Initiative Process?
Oregon voters could decide whether to raise the bar on the initiative petition process. Currently, paid signature gatherers focus on the metro area, where it's easy to fill petition sheets. But state Senator Todd Nash said that ignores rural Oregon. "Getting i... Continue reading…
2h ago
Washington Accepting Resiliency Grants Applications
On Monday, April 7th, the Washington State Department of Agriculture Food Assistance program announced that applications for the 5th round of Resiliency Grants are now open. These grants are available to eligible hunger relief organizations,...
2h ago
Commerce Department to Reinstate Tariffs on Mexican Tomatoes
The U.S. Department of Commerce intends to withdraw from the 2019 Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico. Termination of the agreement will be in 90 days. The Commerce Department said the agreement ...
2h ago
Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Reorganized
On Monday, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the cancelation of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. The move comes following, what the Ag Secretary called a thorough line-by-line review of each of the Biden-era partnerships; noting tha...
2h ago
Hackenbruck Named OSU Coordinator-Capital Construction Project Manager
Oregon State University's College of Agricultural Sciences has appointed Joshua Hackenbruck as its new Coordinator-Capital Construction Project Manager. A seasoned design and construction professional, OSU officials said Hackenbruck brings extensive experience in all phases of project delivery, from concept through com...
2h ago
Ag Innovation Apps Now Being Accepted
Applications are now open for the Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge a national business competition showcasing agricultural-based entrepreneurs and startups. Chase Heineman, director of industry relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said they’re looking for any business solving a problem in farm co...
2h ago
Oregon Snowpack Starts To Melt
While temperatures are warming across the Northwest, snow remains in many of the higher elevations, especially in Oregon. The statewide snowpack is currently 134% of average. Matt Warbritton is with NRCS said the 2024-2025 snow year wa...
23h ago
Winter Wheat Crop Looks Good Locally And Nationally
“The heading progress for winter wheat, nationally, 8% of the U.S. winter wheat crop headed by April 13th. That's right on par with the five-year average, two points behind last year's 10%," said USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey recapping the latest numbers from the USDA’s crop progress report. He noted ...
23h ago
Central Washington Organizations Call for EL 22.1 Funding
County officials, cities, ports, economic development councils, agricultural associations, farmers, businesses and community institutions, have formally expressed their strong support for the EL 22.1 Surface Water Irrigation Project. They are urging t...
23h ago
Long-Range Weather Looks Encouraging For Yakima Basin
Snowpack and reservoir levels are already creating concerns for irrigators in the Yakima Basin. But it looks like, according to one expert, that Mother Nature will help in other ways this year. When it comes to the temperatures gr...
23h ago
Oregon Democrats Want Fishery Disaster Declared
On Monday, members of Oregon's delegation, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce urging that a federal fishery resource disaster be declared for the 2024 Oregon troll salmon fishery. "This declaration is critical to provide economic relief...
23h ago
Price at the Pump: Tariff Talk Continues To Push Oil Prices Lower
No surprise here, the back-and-forth tariffs and retaliatory tariffs are giving oil investors a case of vertigo. Oil prices in Monday’s trade were slightly higher, trading around $61 per barrel, which is up about 1% from last week’s sell off. Patrick DeHaan with... Continue reading…
23h ago
FCS Provides Quarterly Ag Economy Update
The Farm Credit System says the U.S. economy entered 2025 with key indicators in favorable positions. Expectations for first quarter growth have been reduced, however, by weaker personal consumption, higher imports, and uncertainty around ch...
23h ago
