Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/53575
C BUDGET consequences State budget cuts As a college, Washington State University has lost 52 onsequences of recent state and federal budget cuts to Washington State University's agricul- tural research enterprises, according to Dr. Thomas Henick-Kling, include: • Small reduction in number of faculty • Significant reduction in administrative and support staff • Significant changes in operating practices (land service fees at research centers and research farms) • Movement of previously hard-funded technical staff to soft funds (grants and contracts) • Elimination of permanent funding of lower priority programs • Erosion of flexible funds to pay for supplies, equipment, faculty start-ups • Deferral of maintenance on research facilities proposals submitted by researchers in the western states, Texas, and Oklahoma. Currently, the Viticulture Consortium is the only nationally competitive source of funding for cutting- edge, high priority viticulture, Golino stated. In 2009, grapes had a national farm-gate value of $3.2 billion, making grapes the highest value fruit crop in the United States, according to USDA statistics. Grapes (table, grape juice products, raisins, and wine) are also the largest hor- ticultural export in the United States and reached $1.58 billion in 2009. percent of its state-funded allocations in the last five years. But because of preplanning and prioritizing of key programs before the downward budget spiral, the agri- cultural college, and more specifically the viticulture and enology program, has experienced relatively minor budget cuts in the same time period. During statewide juice and wine grape meetings held last November, Henick-Kling said that in recent years, agricultural researchers helped bring in more than 80 percent of additional extramural funds through private grants. The extramural funds helped offset state cuts to extension and research funding that has declined by 14 percent the last five years. In 2011, 56 percent of WSU's agricultural research was funded by extramural grants compared with 41 percent in 2006. But even with such stepped-up efforts by researchers, the viticulture and enology program—with expenditures totaling more than $5 million—is still heavily dependent on state funds, he said. "The decline in state and federal funding to the program, from $3.93 million in 2010 to $3.52 million last year, has had consequences to WSU's agricultural research enterprise," he said. Henick-Kling pointed to a grim state economic fore- cast that calls for potentially more cuts to state-allocated funding and uncertainty with research funding in the next Farm Bill. He's hopeful some research funding can be rechanneled in the next Farm Bill. He commended private industry partners for increas- ing industry commitment to WSU—commodity groups gave $5.6 million in 2011 for WSU research grants and Program costs WSU's expenditures for viticulture and enology program. 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - 0 - $0.82 $0.59 $0.62 $0.80 $1.91 $3.93 $3.66 $3.28 $3.52 $1.00 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Self generated Wine Commission Gifts SOURCE: Thomas Henick-Kling, WSU Washington liquor board External grants Recurring (state/federal) programs. Additionally, the state's apple and pear growers have committed to a $27 million investment over the next eight years for research and extension, and the wine industry, through the Washington Wine Commission, will raise $7.4 million in the coming years to help complete a Wine Science Center at the WSU Tri-Cities campus. • Your Partner in World Class Wine Production • Water Quality • Vineyard Nutrition • Wine Quality • Soil Fertility Your analytical laboratory, serving agriculture and industry in Central Washington since 1978 3019 GS Center Road Wenatchee, WA 98801 509-662-1888/509-662-8183 (fax) www.cascadeanalytical.com www.goodfruit.com 1008 W. Ahtanum Road, #2 Union Gap, WA 98903 509-452-7707/509-452-7773 (fax) 800-545-4206 GOOD FRUIT GROWER FEBRUARY 1, 2012 21 DOLLARS (in millions)