ALMOTA, Wash. (AP) — Solid prices and government subsidies have combined for a strong year for wheat farmers in Washington state.
The Spokesman-Review reports that 147.8 million bushels were harvested, up from 123 million bushels last year.
Much of that wheat was sold. Farmers here benefited from wildfires that left many of Russia’s fields smoldering. The Russian government limited the sale of wheat abroad, benefiting the farmers here.
The industry estimates that the value of Washington’s wheat crop should shoot past $750 million this year. That figure is not a record, but it’s a healthy one.
Moreover, farmers in the region received about $70 million in government subsidies.
___
Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com
