Strong Prices Stimulate Increased Wheat Planting

Sat., March 30, 1996

Grayden Jones

Encouraged by higher prices, Pacific Northwest farmers are planting 3 percent more acres in wheat than a year ago, a government agency said Friday.

Farmers are expected to seed a total of 5.28 million acres of wheat in Washington, Idaho and Oregon, up from 5.14 million in 1995, according to a survey by the Agricultural Statistics Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Winter wheat, which is planted in the fall and harvested a year later, will rise to 4.18 million acres in 1996 from 3.99 million acres last year. Spring wheat will dip slightly to 1.1 million acres from 1.15 million last year.

Washington winter wheat is estimated at 2.4 million acres, up 7 percent from 2.25 million in 1995. Spring wheat is estimated at 300,000 acres, down from 400,000 last year when farmers delayed winter wheat planting because of dry weather.

In a related report, the statistics service said Washington sugarbeet farmers will plant 13,000 acres in the Columbia River Basin. This marks the first time since 1978 that the service measured the crop in Washington.

, DataTimes

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.

Strong Prices Stimulate Increased Wheat Planting

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

Updated: Scott Pelley accuses CBS News boss of 'Murdering' '60 Minutes'

Updated: Russia finance officials tell Putin war spending is unaffordable

Updated: ‘Landmark’ pancreatic cancer drug keeps patients alive for twice as long