Gregoire concerned about frozen crops

Reports of crops damage caused by freezing temperatures has grabbed the attention of Gov. Christine Gregoire, who may seek a proclamation offering growers low-interest loans.

A five-day cold snap that ended Monday damaged cherry, apple, pear and asparagus crops in the Yakima Valley. Some growers even reported seeing their entire apple or cherry crops destroyed.

In an announcement Friday, Gregoire said her staff will be the assessing damage next week to make recommendations on possible relief to affected growers.

"Right now, the damage does not appear widespread but may be significant in isolated areas," Gregoire said in a news release. "Growers are telling us they need a few days of warmer weather before they will know the real extent of the damage."

Damage is still being assessed in the Yakima Valley, but reports the past few days indicate that it may be more than what was initially estimated, said Mike Bush, an educator at the Washington State University Extension office in Yakima.

"I am kind of worried of how widespread this is," he said, noting that the Wenatchee Valley and Hood River areas have also reported significant crop damage.

Asparagus growers have also complained about crop loss, he said.

"We're going to get a wide range of crop loss on this."