Within that area major crops include potatoes, alfalfa hay, tree fruits, asparagus, vegetables, vegetable seed, mint and many others. The Yakima Valley is principally a tree fruit and grape producing area, but also has a growing dairy industry and other products. North Central Washington from Wenatchee on north to Canada is a bountiful tree fruit region along with livestock production. Western Washington contains most of the state's highly productive dairy cattle, some vegetables in the Skagit Valley and lots of small fruits including cranberries on the coast. Deep water ports at Seattle and Tacoma offer the closest access to Asia from the mainland U.S. International trade is an important research area.
Special emphasis is given to trade with China, Japan and Korea.
It is an international trade center which supports research and education to increase exports of WA agricultural products. One faculty member has developed an extensive research program on North Pacific fisheries issues. With about 85 wineries in the state, there is demand for grape and wine marketing research. Asparagus, hops, fruits, vegetables, milk, alfalfa seed, wheat and feed grains, livestock and other commodities provide many areas with researchable problems and issues. In production agriculture there are many areas in which faculty have been engaged in research.