The Blog

Photo of Dan Newhouse Dan Newhouse, Director, Department of Agriculture

07/18/12

New public-private partnerships for infrastructure investment continue to keep Washington agriculture competitive in the global marketplace. Near Rosalia, two farmer-owned cooperatives, aided by a timely state investment in railroad infrastructure, will help secure a vibrant future for Palouse grain producers.

Agriculture is a major engine for economic growth in our state. We produce $8 billion in crops and livestock, including nearly $1 billion in wheat grown by 5,000 family farmers across the state. Nearly all of it is destined for overseas markets. Exports are booming (nearly $9 billion in Washington food products were sent abroad in 2011) because we grow the quality the world demands.

Transportation infrastructure is essential if our top-quality commodities are to get from farm to distant foreign markets. Our public ports, national rail providers and local transportation investments are all integral in the export supply chain. The scale of this new McCoy facility is staggering. The grain facility will have the rail capacity to load a 110-car unit train in eight hours, delivering 410,000 bushels of local wheat to our international ports.

We’re not just building for next year or even 2020. Infrastructure investments like this one will serve the needs of Washington’s growers and producers across the nation for decades to come. This project is an example of the innovation, resourcefulness and foresight of our growers, coupled with the right kind of public-sector partnership. And because this is a venture of grower-owned cooperatives, we know that the benefits will truly reach the producer.