U.S. High-Protein Wheat Supplies Tightening

By Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USW Market Analyst The common refrain right now is “the world is awash with wheat.” While that is true in the aggregate, in terms of milling wheat and, more specifically, high-protein milling wheat, supply is very tight. The impact of the small supply of high-protein milling wheat can be seen in the […]

Shifting Destinations of U.S. Wheat Exports

By Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USW Market Analyst Over the past twenty years, roughly 10 MMT of U.S. wheat exports have shifted from price sensitive markets to quality-driven markets. Consumption in quality-driven markets in Southeast Asia and Latin America increased an average 2 percent annually over the past ten years, according to USDA. In 1995/96, the top […]

USDA Reports Smallest U.S. Harvested Area in 127 Years

By Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USW Market Analyst USDA’s Sept. 30 Small Grains Summary reported that U.S. farmers harvested 37.6 million acres (15.2 million hectares) of wheat for the 2017/18 crop, a 14 percent reduction from 2016/17 and the smallest harvested area since 1890. USDA estimated U.S. 2017/18 wheat production at 47.4 million metric tons (MMT) (1.74 […]

Taking Stock of the 2017/18 World Wheat Crop

By Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USW Market Analyst USDA’s latest forecast of total world wheat production stands at 745 million metric tons (MMT), down 1 percent from 2016/17. Though USDA expects global wheat production to decrease by 8.46 MMT, it expects global wheat consumption to remain high at 737 MMT, down 1.13 MMT from the 2016/17 record. […]

U.S. Wheat Sales on Pace to Match 5-Year Average

By Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USW Market Analyst Three months into the 2017/18 marketing year (June to May), total U.S. export sales-to-date of 12.1 million metric tons (MMT) are 2 percent ahead of last year’s pace and in line with the 5-year average pace. Though hard red winter (HRW) and hard red spring (HRS) sales are currently […]

Opportunities Abound for Customers to Lock-in Competitive Prices

By Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USW Market Analyst Sharply lower U.S. wheat production pushed futures prices to 2-and 3-year highs earlier this summer. However, bearish factors have recently pushed prices down. And when wheat futures are under pressure, wheat importers have the opportunity to lock in competitive prices and maybe even find some bargains. Chicago Board of […]

USDA: World Wheat Consumption Increases, Spring Wheat in Short Supply

By Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USW Market Analyst USDA increased its estimates for world wheat production, consumption and trade in its August World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report released today. USDA forecast global wheat production at 743 million metric tons (MMT), 3 percent above the 5-year average but still 2 percent below last year’s record. […]

Diminishing Low Protein Premiums Add Value to Soft White Export Supplies

By Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USW Market Analyst Four consecutive years of drought, which shrunk soft white (SW) production and increased average protein levels, had the market rationing demand through low protein premiums. Now, after two years of more normal weather patterns, low protein premiums are quickly disappearing providing an excellent buying opportunity for U.S. wheat customers. […]

U.S. Wheat Production to Fall to Lowest Level Since 2002/03

USDA forecast U.S. 2017/18 wheat production at 47.9 million metric tons (MMT), down 24 percent year over year and 18 percent below the 5-year average. The reason: an anticipated 12 percent decline in average yield and the lowest planted acres since USDA records began in 1919. However, USDA expects 2017/18 U.S. beginning stocks to total […]