Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “There’s a real purpose in this job … there’s a calling when you’re working for an entire industry … I’ve made a lot of relationships and worked for some great companies in the ag space, but the opportunity to represent the U.S. farmer in foreign markets is really something that appeals to me.” – Ryan LeGrand, President and CEO, U.S. Grains Council quoted in an article in “Feed Navigator.com”.

Genetic Diversity Crucial to Wheat Supply. To safeguard food supplies and ensure durable disease resistance in wheat, scientists must embrace a globally integrated strategy that deploys resistance genes in a coordinated way, according to Maricelis Acevedo, associate director of science for the Delivering Genetic Gain in Wheat (DGGW) project in International Programs in Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Read more in this article from the “Cornell Chronicle.”

Brazil Wheat TRQ to Open? Reuters reported Sept. 3 that the president of the Brazil’s wheat industry group Abitrigo said at a press conference that Brazil is expected to introduce a tariff-free wheat import quota of 750,000 metric tons per year starting from 2020. The report said Brazil announced the opening of the TRQ earlier this year in connection with President Jair Bolsonaro’s visit to the United States, with U.S. wheat producers seen as potential beneficiaries, although the policy has yet to be instituted. Read the story here: https://reut.rs/2ks5BU3.

Trade War Impacts. The folks who work at USW are big fans of Michelle Erickson-Jones of Montana or, as she is known on Twitter, @bigskyfarmher. In a recent article by Helen Santoro in “High Country News,” Michelle talks about the additional strain from trade issues on Montana farmers already hit hard by low crop prices. From the article: It may still be a while before producers like Erickson-Johnson turn a profit. “I would like to keep operating,” she said, but the trade war “definitely puts a little bit of a dimmer on the future of agriculture.” Read the entire article online at https://bit.ly/2jVlpyi.

Register for the 2019 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium. The 2019 Symposium theme, “Pax Agricultura: Peace Through Agriculture,” will serve as an opportunity to take stock of the current state of global agriculture and food security. Learn more and register 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.

Quote of the Week: “Trade policy throughout the past several decades has opened up new markets for agricultural exports, increased access in existing markets, and lowered or eliminated various tariffs and technical barriers to trade. Opportunities for improvement still abound; however, the benefits far outweigh the drawback for the agricultural community.” – Michelle Erickson-Jones, Wheat Farmer and Past-President of the Montana Grain Growers Association. Click here to read more.

Weekly Commercial Sales are Up. USDA reported net U.S. wheat export sales of 487,700 metric tons for the week to August 1. That is 27% higher than the preceding week and 17% above the prior four-week average. U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) publishes a Commercial Sales report every Thursday with more details.

USDA Should Consider Export Customer Concerns. This week, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) submitted comments to the U.S Department of Agriculture on proposed rule changes to regulations on plant biotechnology. In a statement about its comments, NAWG said: “… its highest priority concern is that any rule change contemplated by the USDA APHIS needs to consider its impact on importing countries of U.S. produced grain. NAWG encourages USDA APHIS to develop and execute an international engagement strategy that defines USDA’s rationale on pre-market regulatory approaches. All foreign customers expect the continued oversight by USDA to ensure consistent food safety, which is fundamental to their confidence in purchases of U.S. wheat.” Click here to read the entire statement.

No Vote on USMCA “Disappointing.” In a news release, the Washington Grain Commission (WGC) and the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) said the failure of the U.S. Congress to approve the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on Trade (USMCA) prior to its August recess “jeopardizes trade with two of America’s most reliable customers as it threatens wheat shipments to our most important market.” They urged Congress to schedule an expedited vote on the important trade agreement. Although the Pacific Northwest exports little grain to Mexico, wheat is traded on the world market and undermining exports to Mexico “will depress prices further for all wheat farmers” the organizations stated.

IAOM-KSU Basic and Advanced Milling Principles. Through hands-on training in the Kansas State University milling facilities and classroom discussions at the IGP Institute, these two courses will further develop participants basic and advanced milling skills and understanding of the milling process. The IAOM-KSU Basic Milling Course will be held Oct. 7 to 11, 2019. Click here for more information about these courses and the IGP Institute.

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.

Quote of the Week: “Today we can say that we’ve moved from precision ag to decision ag. The digital revolution is here … here to stay, and it’s going to have a profound impact on our [agricultural] business. I never in my wildest dreams, growing up on a 600-acre farm, thought any of this would be possible.” – David Hollinrake, President, Syngenta Seeds.

Congratulations. We are fortunate to have devoted, loyal colleagues at USW. This month, Stacy Taylor, Meeting Planner and Executive Assistant to the President, from the USW Headquarters Office in Arlington, Va., is celebrating 30 years. Thank you, Stacy for your service to our organization, to U.S. wheat farmers and to our customers around the world.

Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators Report. Agriculture is dynamic, adjusting in response to changes in the economy, technology, the environment, and policy – and agricultural production affects a wide range of natural resources. Understanding the complex links among public policies, economic conditions, farming and conservation practices, productivity and technological change, resource use, and the environment, is important for agricultural decision making. A new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service provides a comprehensive review of the use of natural resources (land and water) and commercial inputs (such as energy, nutrients, and pesticides) in the U.S. agricultural sector, as well as the impact of agricultural production on environmental quality.

Food Technologist Doug Engle Retires. After 35 years with USDA’s Western Wheat Quality Lab, food technologist Doug Engle retired on July 6. He will remain at the lab—based on Washington State University’s campus in Pullman, Wash.—for two years, working three-quarter time, in a new position funded by the Idaho Wheat Commission, Oregon Wheat Commission and Washington Grain Commission, to ease the transition as a replacement is hired. Read more about Engle’s career here.

Marketing Seminar to Offer Perspectives on 2019 Wheat Outlook. The North Dakota Wheat Commission is sponsoring a Pre-harvest Marketing Seminar in conjunction with the North Central Research Extension Fields Days in Minot, N.D., on Wednesday, July 17. The seminar will focus on marketing strategies for harvest and beyond, key issues affecting markets and demand outlook for hard red spring and durum wheat. Read more about the free seminar here.

A Cereal Science Events Calendar is available through Prof. Dr. M. Hikmet Boyacıoğlu. Contact him at [email protected] to join the subscription list.

IAOM-KSU Flour and Dough Analysis. The IAOM-KSU Flour and Dough Analysis short course will be held at the IGP Institute in Manhattan, Kan., Sept. 10 to 12, 2019. The course will focus on flour and dough analysis practices and methods and correct interpretation and understanding of the results. Click here to learn more and register.

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 atwww.twitter.com/uswheatassoc  and video stories at https://www.youtube.com/uswheatassociates.

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “Storms are always very concerning for those of us in agriculture. It was very unfortunate, especially for our wheat producers here in Oklahoma, to have this much rain this close to harvest.” – Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, on the effects of constant rain and severe flooding that may significantly reduce final wheat yield potential in Oklahoma and many other states this year.

Best Wishes to Ben Conner who is leaving his position as U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Vice President of Policy on June 7, 2019, to become a partner at DTB Associates, Washington, D.C. Continuing the legacy of his predecessors at USW, Ben’s work the past five years has focused on reducing barriers to international trade for U.S. wheat farmers. Notable examples include Ben’s successful stewardship of USW’s positions on: WTO cases against China’s non-compliant domestic wheat support and its imported wheat tariff rate quota (TRQ); Brazil’s agreement to implement its WTO obligation to import 750,000 metric tons of wheat duty-free from non-Mercosur countries; potential long-term consequences from using a Section 232 national security exemption to implement tariffs on steel and aluminum imports; and unfair restrictions on U.S. farmers when selling their wheat across the border to nearby Canadian elevators compared to Canadian farmers who sell their wheat to U.S. elevators. We thank you, Ben, for all you’ve done for U.S. wheat producers, and for being such a dedicated and supportive colleague.

Spring Wheat Planting Progress. North Dakota Wheat Commission reported that farmers make some progress planting hard red spring (HRS) wheat since last week. Percent of the U.S. spring wheat crop planted has now reached 84 percent, compared to 91 percent on average. However, some acres will not get planted due to overly wet conditions in South Dakota and southern North Dakota. Read more here.

U.S.–Colombia FTA Pays Dividends. From USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, since the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA) entered into force May 15, 2012, U.S. agricultural exports to Colombia nearly tripled to $2.9 billion in 2018. Colombia, the third-largest economy in South America, now purchases half its agricultural imports from the United States. Preferential access from CTPA and a strong and changing Colombian economy will keep demand for high-quality U.S. wheat and other products strong. Please click here to read more.

Borlaug Dialogue. Amb. Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation, recently announced the opening of registration for the 2019 Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium, Pax Agricultura: Peace Through Agriculture, Oct. 16 to18, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa. Through the Borlaug Dialogue, the World Food Prize Foundation helps build alliances in the struggle against world hunger and malnutrition. Read the release here.

Sincere Sympathies to our colleague Joshua Tonsager​, Vice President of Policy and Communications with the National Association of Wheat Growers, and his family on the passing of his father Dallas Tonsager, chairman of the U.S. Farm Credit Administration since 2016, former Undersecretary for Rural Development at USDA and a South Dakota farmer. Read more here.

Baking with Whole Wheat and Whole Grains Course. The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a course focused on the utilization of whole wheat flour made from hard red spring (HRS) wheat and how to incorporate other whole grain ingredients into wheat-based products. The July 30 to Aug. 2, 2019 course will be at its facilities in Fargo, N.D. Click here to learn more and register by Monday, July 8.

IAOM-KSU Flour and Dough Analysis. The IAOM-KSU Flour and Dough Analysis short course will be held at the IGP Institute in Manhattan, Kan., Sept. 10 to 12, 2019. The course will focus on flour and dough analysis practices and methods and correct interpretation and understanding of the results. Click here to learn more and register.

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.

Quote of the Week: “I am convinced that the majority of American people do understand that we have a moral responsibility to foster the concepts of opportunity, free enterprise, the rule of law, and democracy. They understand that these values are the hope of the world.” – The late U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar who, with former Senate Finance Committee Chairman and Ambassador to China Max Baucus, founded “Farmers for Free Trade” in 2017. Sen. Lugar passed away April 28.

USDA Moves to New Notifications Platform. As of May 1, 2019, USDA moved its email subscription service to a different platform. To continue receiving notifications such as press releases, blogs and trade announcements you must re-enroll on their new site here.

2017 Census of Agriculture: Highlights for Wheat. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its 2017 Census of Agriculture statistics on April 11. The Census, released every 5 years, includes data on farm demographics, land area, production and production value and more at the national, state, and county levels. The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) posted a blog highlighting wheat-specific data from the 2017 Census that shows a reduction in total U.S. farms producing wheat, production and planted area; spring and durum planted area increased. Read it here.

Earth Day. Monday, April 22, 2019 was the 49th Earth Day! In its recent blog, NAWG highlights how wheat growers incorporate conversation and sustainability practices into their operations. Read the blog here.

Minnesota Wheat Hires New Executive Director. The Minnesota Wheat Research & Promotion Council (MWRPC) and the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers (MAWG) recently hired Charlie Vogel to serve as the Executive Director for both organizations. Vogel will start his duties on June 1, 2019. Read the full announcement here.

U.S. EPA: Glyphosate Not A Carcinogen. From a press release: “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking an important step in the agency’s review of glyphosate. As part of this action, EPA continues to find that there are no risks to public health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label and that glyphosate is not a carcinogen. The agency’s scientific findings on human health risk are consistent with the conclusions of science reviews by many other countries and other federal agencies. While the agency did not identify public health risks in the 2017 human health risk assessment, the 2017 ecological assessment did identify ecological risks. To address these risks, EPA is proposing management measures to help farmers target pesticide sprays on the intended pest, protect pollinators, and reduce the problem of weeds becoming resistant to glyphosate.” Click here to read more.

Baking with Whole Wheat and Whole Grains Course. The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a course focused on the utilization of whole wheat flour made from hard red spring (HRS) wheat and how to incorporate other whole grain ingredients into wheat-based products. The July 30 to Aug. 2, 2019 course will be at its facilities in Fargo, N.D. Click here to learn more and register by Monday, July 8.

IAOM-KSU Flour and Dough Analysis. The IAOM-KSU Flour and Dough Analysis short course will be held at the IGP Institute in Manhattan, Kan., Sept. 10 to 12, 2019. The course will focus on flour and dough analysis practices and methods and correct interpretation and understanding of the results. Click here to learn more and register.

Buhler-KSU Executive Milling Short Courses. IGP Institute offers this executive milling course several times in 2019 at its campus in Manhattan, Kan. The course, focused on the underlying principles of the milling process and operational management, will be offered in English May 20 to 24, 2019, and Nov. 4 to 8, 2019, as well as in Spanish Aug. 26 to 30, 2019. Click here to register to these courses.

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.