From Spokane Public Radio:

As much as 90 percent of Washington states wheat crop is exported to other nations. While the sale price was enough to make a good profit just a couple years ago, growers this year are seeing prices about a dollar below the break-even point for them, about 5 dollars a bushel.

Now, the new Trump administration budget proposal is calling for major cuts to agriculture programs. Among those on the chopping block, the Foreign Marketing Development program, and the Market Access Program, which help fund promotions for overseas sales.

The executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, Michelle Hennings fears the timing is extremely bad for such an idea. Henning said, “For Washington State, 90 percent of our wheat is exported, so what happens is this MAP and FMD funding allow for them to do that, and the proposal is to zero out that funding. We especially rely heavily on trade in the Pacific Northwest and this
would be devastating with a significant negative impact on the northwest wheat farmers.”

Hennings says northwest lawmakers, including Republican house members Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dan Newhouse and Democratic Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray plan to fight the proposed cuts.

More at Spokane Public Radio