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A28 u.s. news
Diahuebs 12 augustus 2021

Severe drought devastates Washington state's wheat crop

growing region. multiple stations recorded son we have crop insurance,”
their hottest temperature on Green said. “But usually if
Only about 10 percent of record.” you get crop insurance, you
Washington’s wheat crop are not getting any profits.”
comes from farms with irri- About 90% of Washington’s
gation. The rest of the farms soft white winter wheat is The state’s wheat farmers
rely on rain, which has been exported from Portland, Or- face another problem: Next
rare in what is shaping up as egon, to countries like the year’s crop must be planted
one of the hottest summers Philippines, South Korea, in September, but there is
in the state’s history. China and Japan, Squires no moisture in the ground to
said. help the seeds take hold.
The current estimate for the
crop is 117 million bush- The wheat is fetching about “We need a lot of rain,”
els, down from last year’s $9 a bushel, which is higher Squires said. “But nothing
165 million, and there is a than last year, but that is only says a change in the weather
good chance the crop will for farmers who have wheat is coming.”
(AP) — The wheat har- ily is the sixth generation on be smaller than 117 million, to sell, Squires said.
vest on Marci Green’s the same farming land just said Glen Squires, director of After the 1977 drought, sci-
farm doesn’t usually begin south of the city of Spokane. the Washington Grain Com- Washington has about 3,500 entists started creating wheat
until late August, but a se- mission, which represents wheat farmers, who last year varieties that survived better
vere drought stunted this She estimated her farm’s farmers. A bushel is about 60 exported $663 million worth with little water, Squires said.
year’s crop and her crews wheat crop this year at half of pounds (27 kilograms). of wheat. With yields expect-
finished harvesting last normal, and of poor quality. ed at 40% to 60% of normal, But farmers using those va-
week because she didn’t Oregon and Idaho also pro- revenue will drop significant- rieties will still likely have to
want what had grown so Green grows soft white win- duce soft white winter wheat, ly, Squires said. wait beyond the September
far to shrivel and die in ter wheat, a variety that is and their crops have also been planting season to sow their
the heat. prized in Asian countries be- hurt by drought, Squires said. Many of the state’s farmers seeds to plant if the region
cause it is excellent for mak- have crop insurance that cov- doesn’t get a good soaking
It’s the same story across the ing pastries, cakes, cookies The National Weather Ser- ers up to 80% of losses, but soon. And delaying planting
wheat country of eastern and noodles. vice in Spokane said the some do not, Squires said. might mean that the wheat
Washington state, a vast ex- state’s wheat region has re- grows too short in the fall to
panse of seemingly endless At least Green will have some ceived only about half its Officials believe it’s inevi- survive the winter.
stretches of flatlands with wheat to sell. Some Washing- normal rain this year, and table that some wheat farm-
rolling hills along its edges ton wheat farms produced that the zone is in what the ers will be bankrupted by During the winter and amid
that produces the nation’s almost none because of the agency calls an “exceptional the drought because “there the region’s snowfall, the
fourth largest wheat crop. It’s drought. drought,” the worst category. is always a thinning” of them planted wheat stops growing
been devastated by a drought following severe droughts, and goes into a kind of hiber-
the National Weather Service “We’re seeing complete crop “The lack of significant Squires said. nation. If the wheat isn’t tall
has classified as “exceptional” failure in some areas,” said spring and early summer pre- or fully developed enough, it
and the worst since 1977. Michelle Hennings, execu- cipitation has led to record Green’s farm has crop insur- can result in a phenomenon
tive director of the Wash- dryness across much of the ance which will help pay bills called winter kill, Squires
“This is definitely the worst ington Association of Wheat Inland Northwest,” the agen- so the operation can survive said.
crop year we have had since Growers in the small com- cy said. “The record breaking another year, she said.
we started farming 35 years munity of Ritzville, in the heat wave in late June made He said there is only one so-
ago,” said Green, whose fam- heart of the state’s wheat conditions even worse as “Years like this are the rea- lution: “We need moisture.”

Texas GOP signs arrest warrants to end Democrats' holdout

(AP) — Republican lead- lative sessions is a violation publican Caucus, said while to former President Donald ton. It would ban 24-hour
ers in the Texas House of House rules — a civil of- he has not seen a situation Trump’s false claims that the polling locations, drive-thru
signed arrest warrants fense, not a criminal one. like this play out during his 2020 election was stolen. The voting and give partisan poll
for 52 Democrats who tenure, his understanding is current bill is similar to the watchers more access, among
have blocked voting leg- How soon or even wheth- that officers could go to the ones Democrats blocked last other things.
islation in a standoff that er law enforcement would missing lawmakers and ask month by going to Washing-
stretched into its 31st day round up Democrats also was them to come back to the
Wednesday, but it was not not clear. But Phelan spokes- state Capitol.
yet clear whether that man Enrique Marquez late
threat would be enough to Tuesday confirmed reports The squeeze tactic by Re-
get lawmakers to return to first published by The Dal- publicans comes as Demo-
the state Capitol. las Morning News that the crats disagree over how —
speaker had signed civil ar- and when — to retreat. The
Unlike a month ago — when rest warrants for 52 House divisions have spilled in the
missing Democrats were Democrats. open as the GOP presses for-
in Washington, D.C., and ward with a third attempt to
beyond the jurisdiction of The move marks a new ef- pass voting legislation. With
Texas officers — some are fort by the GOP to end the new court losses and atten-
now holding out from home. protest over elections legisla- tion turning toward Texas’
Texas House Speaker Dade tion that began a month ago surging COVID-19 casel-
Phelan, a Republican, said with 50 Democrats taking oads, pressure is mounting
Democrats could be com- private jets to Washington in on Democrats who lack the
pelled to return under “war- a dramatic show of resolve numbers to permanently stop
rant of arrest if necessary.” to make Texas the front lines a bill from passing.
of a new national battle over
How that process could work voting rights. Texas is among several states
was still unclear, even for the where Republicans have
Republicans who invoked it. State Rep. Jim Murphy, who rushed to enact new vot-
Refusing to attend the legis- leads the Texas House Re- ing restrictions in response