Wash. governor touts state agriculture in DC

Gov. Chris Gregoire said Friday that her trade mission to Washington, D.C., this week was productive and that she and others from the state impressed upon the new administration the importance that agriculture plays in the state's economy.

The talks come at an important time for Washington farmers, who enter their harvest season facing steep Mexican tariffs for some products, stricter screening regulations for air freight and concerns about water and the labor supply.

State Agriculture Director Dan Newhouse and six people representing various aspects of the state's agriculture industry joined Gregoire in meeting with the heads of several federal agencies and the state's congressional delegation.

Of immediate concern are the 20 percent Mexican tariffs on nearly 90 American products. Mexico imposed the tariffs in retaliation for a U.S. decision to not allow Mexican truckers on U.S. highways despite the terms of a free trade agreement.

Washington farmers exported $87 million in goods to Mexico last year, including frozen potatoes, pears and cherries.

Unfortunately, no one in the federal government can say when the dispute might get resolved, Gregoire said. But she said she and others stressed to them that time is money.

"No just money for the here and now, but there's the potential that we will lose our importers, our processors will turn to other countries and stay with other countries once the problems have been resolved," she said. "This is an issue that needs immediate attention."

Nearly 300 crops are grown in Washington state, and agriculture represents 13 percent of the state's economy. In 2070, the overall value of agricultural production was a record $8.51 billion.

Agriculture also is the state's top employer. In recent years, farmers have complained about a labor shortage, while labor groups counters that higher wages would secure workers.

A bill has been introduced in Congress to ensure a legal labor force for agriculture, but because it's only going to be part of a larger immigration reform plan, it likely won't go anywhere this year, Newhouse said.

Steve Sakuma, president and co-owner of Sakuma Brothers and a member of the delegation, grows berries in Western Washington, where harvest seasons are short. The company hires about 1,700 people each season to harvest and process crops.

"If we don't have them, we're in trouble, pure and simple," he said.

Sakuma said those workers, many of whom have been returning for years, are considered family. For that reason, he was pleased to hear that federal officials understand the human side of immigration reform.

"The challenge is that the solution is somewhere meandering between the human side, the political side and the regulatory side," he said.