Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Speaking of Wheat: “Wheat farmers and Mexico’s wheat buyers are very glad to see the cloud of uncertainty lifted from our trade relationship. Replacing NAFTA without harm to the wheat trade relationship was a priority for all of us – mission accomplished.” – Doug Goyings, USW Chairman and Wheat Farmer from Paulding, Ohio, noting one of the benefits of the U.S., Mexico, Canada Agreement signed into U.S. law last week by President Trump.

Our Sincere Sympathy to former USW colleague Pam Leckie Wiese and the family of former USW Regional Vice President, Sub-Sahara Africa, Ed Wiese who passed away at age 71 on Jan. 25, 2020, in Florida.

Japanese Perceptions of Gene Editing. A team of Japanese researchers surveyed Japanese experts and the public about their perceptions of the benefits, risks, and value of using gene editing in Japan. A partial summary of results suggested that molecular biology experts had higher benefit and value perceptions, as well as lower risk perceptions regarding new technologies. Although the lay public tended to have more favorable attitudes toward gene editing than toward genetic modification, such differences were much smaller than their perceived differences between conventional breeding and genetic modification. Read more in Nature Communications Journal. Click here to read USW positions on plant breeding innovation.

California Wheat’s Claudia Carter Interviewed. Claudia Carter, Executive Director of the California Wheat Commission, was recently featured in an episode of the “Regenerative Agriculture Podcast.” Originally from Ecuador, Claudia leads research around the marketability of California wheat and helps to develop and maintain domestic and international markets for this commodity. She describes her educational journey in cereal sciences, and her focus on the durum quality parameters that processors need to develop a good pasta. Claudia and the host also discuss biofortification, the process of breeding wheat varieties for a specific nutritional profile. Listen to the podcast here.

Wheat All About It! Speaking of podcasts, Washington Grain Commission (WGC) publishes a very informative weekly podcast all about wheat and the wheat industry in the Pacific Northwest. Click here to listen to the latest episodes. You may also subscribe to “Wheat All About It!” on iTunes and other podcast apps like Stitcher, Pocket Cast, Overcast and Radio FM, or download multiple episodes from the WGC website at wagrains.org.

EPA Evaluation of Glyphosate. In January 2020, after receiving and considering public comments on the glyphosate proposed interim decision, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the interim decision for registration review. As part of this action, EPA continues to find that there are no risks of concern to human health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label. EPA also found that glyphosate is unlikely to be a human carcinogen. EPA is requiring management measures to help farmers target pesticide sprays to intended pests, protect pollinators, and reduce the problem of weeds becoming resistant to glyphosate. Read more here.

U.S. Flour Miller Invests in Wheat Quality. Grain Craft, the largest U.S. independent flour miller, has increased its commitment to improving wheat quality with another gift to the Kansas Wheat Commission Research Foundation (KWCRF). The gift will build upon previous support of research to improve wheat quality and yield through proper fertility management. “Preliminary results from the research indicate there is a strong correlation between proper fertility management of wheat by farmers and not only the quantity, but quality of the protein produced,” according to Dr. Romulo Lollato, Wheat Production Extension Specialist at Kansas State University in Manhattan. Read more here.

Subscribe to USW Reports. USW publishes a variety of reports and content that are available to subscribe to, including a bi-weekly newsletter highlighting recent Wheat Letter blog posts, the weekly Price Report and the weekly Harvest Report (available May to October). Subscribe here.

Follow USW Online. Visit our page at https://www.facebook.com/uswheat for the latest updates, photos and discussions of what is going on in the world of wheat. Also, find breaking news on Twitter at https://twitter.com/uswheatassoc and video stories on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/uswheatassociates.

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Speaking of Wheat: “Over the last five years or so, U.S. wheat producers have shouldered many challenges and continued to produce the highest quality, most wholesome milling wheat in the world, as they have done for decades. We do not yet know if positive shifts in market and trade factors will provide the economic boost they need. But in that hope, our team at USW will be watching how they affect the markets – and how that will affect our overseas customers.” – Vince Peterson, President, U.S. Wheat Associates.

From Wheat Fields to Trade Deals. On Dec. 26, 2019, Ohio Farmer magazine profiled USW Chairman Doug Goyings. Here is the opening of the story: When something needs doing, Doug Goyings isn’t the type to pass a job off to someone else. When he needed fields drained, he figured out how to mount a trencher on a tractor and started installing drain tile. When his house needed to be rewired, he rewired it. When a windstorm wrecked his grain legs and bins, he and his family rebuilt them. And, when wheat buyers around the world need a little encouragement to buy U.S. wheat, Goyings gets on an airplane, flies off to meet with potential buyers and tells them about his farm, his family and the superior quality of U.S. wheat. “They all like to know it comes from a family farm,” he says. “Around the world, it’s that way.” Read the entire article here.

Congratulations to Cassidy Marn. The Montana Department of Agriculture has selected Cassidy Marn as the new bureau chief for the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee (MWBC), which is a long-standing state wheat commission member of USW. Cassidy has served as MWBC’s Trade and Marketing Manager since 2010 and has developed many important relationships with USW staff and overseas wheat buyers.

USW Welcomes New CEO at Oregon Wheat Commission. The Oregon Wheat Commission (OWC) and Oregon Wheat Growers League (OWGL) have selected Amanda Hoey as chief executive officer of both organizations. She replaces Blake Rowe who plans to retire soon. OWC is a long-standing state wheat commission member of USW. Amanda comes to the new position after serving as executive director of the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District. She grew up on a dryland wheat farm in Wasco County, Ore.

Who’s Who in Private Wheat Breeding. Successful Farming magazine recently posted an article on its agriculture.com website that profiles the technology companies that are breeding wheat seed for commercial sales in the United States. Much of the certified wheat seed in this country are “public varieties,” financed by farmers through checkoff funds administered by state wheat commissions and bred at land grant universities. The Successful Farming article asserts that private companies, for the most part, still believe that wheat is a viable cropping option for U.S. farmers. Read the entire article here.

NCI Pasta Production and Technology Course. This course at the Northern Crops Institute April 28 to 30, 2020, introduces participants to the fundamental and applied aspects of pasta production and quality through lectures, demonstrations and hands-on processing. Grain and ingredient quality, specifications and processing variables and their impact on final pasta product quality are presented in detail. The course focuses primarily on traditional dry durum-based pasta; however, non-traditional ingredients and fresh pasta are also covered through lectures and demonstrations. Read more and register for the course here.

IGP Grain Procurement and Purchasing Course. Two sections of the IGP-KSU grain procurement and purchasing course will be offered to enhance grain industry professionals’ ability to purchase U.S. grains and commodities with greater effectiveness. The basic course will be held April 20 to 24, 2020, and the advanced course will be offered April 28 to May 2. Participants have the option of attending a supply chain field trip April 24 to 27 and may take both sections of the course concurrently. Read more and register for the courses here.

Subscribe to USW Reports. USW publishes a variety of reports and content that are available to subscribe to, including a bi-weekly newsletter highlighting recent Wheat Letter blog posts, the weekly Price Report and the weekly Harvest Report (available May to October). Subscribe here.

Follow USW Online. Visit our page at https://www.facebook.com/uswheat for the latest updates, photos and discussions of what is going on in the world of wheat. Also, find breaking news on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/uswheatassoc and video stories at https://www.youtube.com/uswheatassociates.

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Speaking of Wheat: “They say Charlie has crossed the Pacific Ocean about 100 times during his work with U.S. Wheat [Associates]. It is an honor to recognize his dedication and success in helping to make wheat Oregon’s single largest agricultural export to Japan. We wish him well in retirement.” – Alexis Taylor, Director, Oregon Department of Agriculture, at a “Friends of Oregon” reception in Tokyo, Japan, where the state honored our retired colleague and former USW Country Director Wataru “Charlie” Utsunomiya. Read the full release here.

Thankful for All of You! In October 1863, President Abraham Lincoln established a national “Day of Thanksgiving” in the United States with a proclamation, writing in part: “It has seemed to me fit and proper that [these gracious gifts] should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice … I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens … and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving…” We see the people we work with and our customers around the world as one of our “gracious gifts.”

Japan Advances Trade Deal. The lower house of Japan’s parliament on Nov. 19, approved the U.S. trade deal that would slash tariffs and set up new quotas for U.S. farm goods, according to reports out of Tokyo. Passage by the lower house sends the pact for consideration by the upper house of Japan’s Diet and U.S. officials are hopeful that a quick, full ratification will allow the trade deal to go into effect within several weeks…Wheat growers and exporters are also pleased. “This agreement puts U.S. wheat back on equal footing with wheat from Canada and Australia that currently have a tariff advantage under a separate trade deal,” said USW Chairman Doug Goyings, when the agreement was first announced.

2019 National Wheat Yield Contest Winners. Earlier this month, the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) announced the national winners for the 2019 National Wheat Yield Contest. Last week, NWF announced the state winners for the 2019 Contest which includes 115 growers from 24 states. The Foundation’s National Wheat Yield Contest offers growers the opportunity to compete with farmers from across the United States and improve their production practices through new and innovative techniques. Read the full release here.

National Wheat Foundation Scholarship Applications are due by Dec. 1, 2019. The Jerry Minore Scholarship is awarded to deserving high school or college students pursuing a career in agriculture for the 2019/2020 academic year. This year the Foundation will be issuing two scholarships for $2,500 each.

Registration for 2020 Agricultural Outlook Forum. USDA has opened registration for the 96^th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF) on Feb. 20 to 21, 2020, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va. “The Innovation Imperative: Shaping the Future of Agriculture” will focus on innovations in agriculture, global trade trends, food loss and waste, frontiers in conservation, and the science of food safety. USW is a cooperator with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

IGP Courses for 2019 Announced. World Grain magazine reported recently that Kansas State University’s IGP Institute is continuing to work to address challenges in the field of agriculture by offering educational opportunities to industry professionals, with plans to host 24 on-site courses in 2020 that are open to the public. The article said “IGP Institute education focuses on feed manufacturing and grain quality management; grain processing and flour milling; and grain marketing and risk management courses.” Read more here.

Subscribe to USW Reports. USW publishes a variety of reports and content that are available to subscribe to, including a bi-weekly newsletter highlighting recent Wheat Letter blog posts, the weekly Price Report and the weekly Harvest Report (available May to October). Subscribe here.

Follow USW Online. Visit our page at https://www.facebook.com/uswheat for the latest updates, photos and discussions of what is going on in the world of wheat. Also, find breaking news on Twitter at www.twitter.com/uswheatassoc and video stories at https://www.youtube.com/uswheatassociates.

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Speaking of Wheat: “Adios South America! We hosted 5 seminars in 5 different cities and in 3 different countries. We made contact with about 100 buyers, technical staff, or managers of mills to tell them the story of the 2019 [U.S. wheat] crop. I couldn’t ask for a better team to travel with and get to know a little better.” – Jason Scott, Maryland Wheat Farmers and USW Past Chairman, commenting on his participation in 2019 USW Crop Quality Seminars in Brazil, Colombia and Peru.

U.S. Wheat Exports Up for the Week. USDA reported export sales of U.S. wheat for the week ending Oct. 24 at 493,700 metric tons (MT), toward the high end of trade expectations for 200,000 to 500,000 MT. USDA note total known outstanding sales and accumulated exports of all U.S. wheat classes for the 2019/20 marketing year to date were 14.6 million metric tons (MMT), 11 percent greater than last year’s year-to-date total of 13.1 MMT. See USW’s Commercial Sales Report online here.

Another Decline in U.S. Wheat Planted Area? “Dogged by lower prices and tepid demand, U.S. wheat farmers are poised to plant the fewest acres of winter varieties in 110 years,” reported Bloomberg in a story about a survey of farmers. The business news service sites abundant global supplies, farm gate winter wheat prices that are less than corn (maize) prices in some areas and late soybean harvest interrupting some double crop opportunities.

November is National Bread Month. November is a great time for pumpkin spice and everything nice, but it’s also the perfect time to celebrate National Bread Month. Both whole grain flour and enriched flour are important to maintaining a healthy diet. The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend that at least half of the five to eight servings of grains consumed daily should come from whole grain sources. Read more from the Kansas Wheat Commission here.

Registration for 2020 Agricultural Outlook Forum. This week USDA has opened registration for the 96^th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF), its largest event of the year on Feb. 20 to 21, 2020, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va. “The Innovation Imperative: Shaping the Future of Agriculture” sessions will focus on innovations in agriculture, global trade trends, food loss and waste, frontiers in conservation, and the science of food safety. More information will be released in November. USW is a cooperator with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

National Wheat Foundation Scholarship Applications are due by Dec. 1, 2019. The Jerry Minore Scholarship is awarded to deserving high school or college students pursuing a career in agriculture for the 2019/2020 academic year. This year the Foundation will be issuing two scholarships for $2,500 each.

Subscribe to USW Reports. USW publishes a variety of reports and content that are available to subscribe to, including a bi-weekly newsletter highlighting recent Wheat Letter blog posts, the weekly Price Report and the weekly Harvest Report (available May to October). Subscribe here.

Follow USW Online. Visit our page at https://www.facebook.com/uswheat for the latest updates, photos and discussions of what is going on in the world of wheat. Also, find breaking news on Twitter at www.twitter.com/uswheatassoc and video stories at https://www.youtube.com/uswheatassociates.

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Speaking of Wheat: “The U.S. farmer is still holding about half a [hard red] spring wheat crop from last year that will provide some decent quality supplies. Canada, on the other hand, was an aggressive exporter of wheat last year; a poor quality crop will reduce their exportable supplies in this marketing year.” – Michael Krueger, Independent Market Analyst.

Columbia River Reopens to Barge Traffic. A critical navigation lock on the lower Columbia River reopened Sept. 27, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That means barges full of grain and other materials waiting to get from Inland Northwest ports to Vancouver and Portland and out to export markets can resume. Boat traffic on the international trade route has been stopped since September 5 to repair a lock at Bonneville Dam. Crews with the Army Corps’ Portland division have been working around-the-clock the past three weeks to open the channel. Read more here.

New Partner in New Grain Trade Initiative. Glencore Agriculture Ltd. is joining several other major grain traders in the industry’s initiative to modernize global agricultural commodity trade operations. The initiative is looking at such new technologies as blockchain and artificial intelligence to automate grain and oilseed post-trade execution processes, reducing costs needed to move agricultural and food products around the globe. The group is projecting launch of a new platform in the second half of 2020 subject to regulatory approval. Read more from a joint news release here.

More Women Are Running U.S. Farms. According to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture, over the last five years, the number of female farmers in the United States has increased, while the number of male farmers declined. Women now represent 36% of farmers, a 27% increase from 2012. Now, 56% of farms have at least one female producer, although only 38% have a female primary producer, the person who makes the most decisions on the farm. USW looks forward to sharing the story of several women engaged in wheat production in 2020. Currently, two female farm owners serve as directors of USW: Rhonda K. Larson grows HRS wheat in northwestern Minnesota and was elected as USW Secretary-Treasurer for 2019/20; Denise Conover grows HRS and HRW wheat in south central Montana. Past Chairperson Janice Mattson of Chester, Mont., served as USW director and an officer, holding the chair in 2009/10.

Oregon Wheat Seeking New Chief Executive Officer. The Oregon Wheat Commission and Oregon Wheat Growers League are seeking a dynamic and proven Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to provide leadership, vision, focus, and unity to their organizations, following the announcement that Blake Rowe plans to retire from the position. The CEO will serve as the principal administrator of both the OWC and OWGL, operating under the direction of the OWC and the Board of Directors of the OWGL, respectively. The full job announcement and position description can be found at www.owgl.org/careers. Applications must be submitted by 4:00 PM on Oct. 20, 2019.

Subscribe to USW Reports. USW publishes a variety of reports and content that are available to subscribe to, including a bi-weekly newsletter highlighting recent Wheat Letter blog posts, the weekly Price Report and the weekly Harvest Report (available May to October). Subscribe here.

Follow USW Online. Visit our page at https://www.facebook.com/uswheat for the latest updates, photos and discussions of what is going on in the world of wheat. Also, find breaking news on Twitter at www.twitter.com/uswheatassoc and video stories at https://www.youtube.com/uswheatassociates.