Citing substantially higher costs for its programs, the Idaho Barley Commission for the second straight year has increased the assessment growers must pay.

The 14.3% increase the commission approved unanimously June 6 is from 3.5 cents per hundredweight to 4 cents, the statutory maximum, effective July 1.

The year-ago increase — the first in a decade — was from 3 cents to 3.5 cents, or 16.6%.

Research, market development, promotion and information and education programs are funded by the assessment. Just over 1,500 growers pay the required assessment each year.

The assessment increase is expected to generate an additional $125,000 per year, according to the commission, a self-governing state agency.

Continued investment

“The commission must be proactive on finances to ensure we keep up with the needs of Idaho growers and in advancing the Idaho barley industry,” commissioner Mike Wilkins of Rupert said in a news release. Through its strategic planning process, the commission has “identified research and market development priorities, and this boost to the assessment will provide the additional income to invest in these programs to benefit growers.”

Rising costs

Research costs for labor and testing are increasing, one reason the commission earlier this year approved total funding for projects that was well below the amount proposed, Laura Wilder, Idaho Barley Commission executive director, said in an interview.

Some new projects were not funded and some existing work received less funding than requested.

“Because of challenges growers are having with water and climate issues, it’s crucial that we continue to fund variety development and agronomic studies that help provide solutions for growers to be more successful,” she said.

And the commission is “focusing more dollars on market development toward new marketing opportunities for Idaho growers,” Wilder said.

The commission, led by a board that is made up of three growers and an industry representative, works with partner organizations to leverage its grower dollars.

Partners — which include the Idaho Grain Producers Association, National Barley Growers Association, U.S. Grains Council and National Barley Improvement Committee — are seeing inflationary increases in costs across the board, she said.

Idaho leads the U.S. in barley production, with the state’s growers typically producing more than 50 million bushels on over 500,000 acres annually, according to the commission, which has an annual budget of about $900,000.