Wheat Industry News Archives - Page 14 of 15

Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “We have a plan, but it is only as good as the weather it is written on.” – Hurdsfield, North Dakota, farmer Jeff Mertz, discussing how he and his neighbors are preparing for what is likely to be a delayed planting season.

U.S. Wheat Exports Up this Week. USDA reported commercial net sales of 704,700 metric tons (MT) were reported for delivery in 2018/2019, up 48% from last week’s 475,000 MT and 70% from the estimated previous 4-week average of 457,000 MT. Sales were well above trade expectations of 300,000 to 600,000 MT. Increases were reported for Iraq (200,000 HRW), Egypt (-491 HRS, 120,000 SRW), Indonesia (80,000 HRS, 35,000 white), the Philippines (41,000 HRS, 29,000 white), and Mexico (37,355 HRW, 10,000 HRS, 15,121 SRW).

Pasta Production and Technology Course. The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a Pasta Production and Technology Course April 30 to May 2, 2019, at its facilities in Fargo, N.D. This course introduces participants to the fundamental and applied aspects of pasta production and quality. Click here to learn more and register by Monday, Apr. 8.

Baking with Hard Red Spring Wheat Flour Course. The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a course focused on hard red spring (HRS) wheat and flour May 14 to 17, 2019, at its facilities in Fargo, N.D. Participants will spend time in the baking laboratory, making pan breads, hamburger buns, hard rolls, bagels, pizza crusts, wheat-flour tortillas and more. Click here to learn more and register by Monday, Apr. 22.

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.

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.

April 4, 2019/by actualize

Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “Not only would establishing the TRQ increase export opportunities for American farmers, it would also benefit certain Brazilian flour mills that have petitioned their own government in the past to remove the tariff to increase their access to high-quality U.S. wheat.” — From a letter to President Trump from 11 U.S. Senators encouraging negotiations with Brazil to open a duty-free tariff rate quota on wheat imported from non-Mercosur countries.

USDA Celebrates National Ag Day with New Youth Website

On March 14, 2019, the USDA joined the nation in celebrating National Ag Day by launching a new Youth and Agriculture website. The new website seeks to engage, empower, and educate the next generation of agricultural leaders by featuring three key components of agriculture-focused youth engagement – classroom studies, experiential learning, and leadership training. Young people can learn about USDA summer outreach programs, youth loans for business projects, outdoor volunteering and employment opportunities.

Agricultural Economist Joins IGP Institute. With more than 25 years of industry experience in international commodities trading and marketing supply chains, Guy H. Allen has been hired as the senior agricultural economist for the IGP Institute beginning March 25, 2019. Allen will lead grain marketing and risk management curriculum and serve as an outreach specialist hosting teams and engaging with IGP Institute stakeholders. He will also work to identify research opportunities and collaborate with other grain science and industry faculty to support their teaching efforts. Read the full release here.

2019 National Wheat Yield Contest. The National Wheat Foundation (NWF) is now accepting grower enrollment for the 2019 National Wheat Yield Contest. The Contest includes winter wheat and spring wheat primary categories and dryland and irrigated subcategories. NFW is accepting winter wheat entries between April and May 15, 2019, and spring wheat entries between June 15 and Aug. 1, 2019. Learn more here.

Pasta Production and Technology Course. The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a Pasta Production and Technology Course April 30 to May 2, 2019, at its facilities in Fargo, ND. This course introduces participants to the fundamental and applied aspects of pasta production and quality. Click here to learn more and register.

Baking with Hard Red Spring Wheat Flour Course. The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a course focused on hard red spring (HRS) wheat and flour May 14 to 17, 2019, at its facilities in Fargo, ND. Participants will spend time in the baking laboratory, making pan breads, hamburger buns, hard rolls, bagels, pizza crusts, wheat-flour tortillas and more. 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.

March 21, 2019/by actualize

Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “The most valuable commodity in the world is integrity.” — Peter Lloyd, USW Regional Technical Director, USW/Casablanca. Read the full story here.

How the United States Uses Its Land. There are many statistical measures that show productivity, but what can be harder to decipher is how a country uses its land. Bloomberg in 2018 created maps that give a general sense of how land in the United States is used for cropland, pasture, forest, special use and urban living. Agricultural land takes up about 20 percent of the country and it takes about 21.5 million acres (8.7 million hectares) to produce all the U.S. wheat exported in one year. Click here to view the Bloomberg maps.

Congratulations New NAWG Officers. The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) recently elected officers for 2019/20. Texas wheat farmer Ben Scholz will serve as President, Michigan wheat farmer David Milligan as Vice President, Washington state wheat farmer Nicole Berg as Treasurer and Oregon wheat farmer Brent Cheyne as Secretary. Now Past-President Jimmie Musick of Oklahoma will continue to serve on NAWG’s executive committee. USW wants to thank Jimmie for his strong support of export development and his hard work for wheat farmers, and we congratulate his fellow officers on their election. Click here to read the full release.

NAWG Endorses USMCA. NAWG recently joined The National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, and National Sorghum Producers in support for the pending U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Mexico and Canada account for 25 percent of all U.S. agriculture exports and USMCA preserves and builds upon the existing trading relationship between the United States, Canada and Mexico, the organizations said in a news release. They will be advocating members of Congress to ratify USMCA this year, while also urging the Trump Administration to keep the current NAFTA agreement intact until the new agreement is ratified. Click here to read the full release.

Group Calls on USDA to Support Export Development in Cuba. In a recent letter, the United States Agriculture Coalition for Cuba urged U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to approve the use of USDA Foreign Agricultural Service export market development funds in Cuba to promote, educate and carry out research supporting U.S. agricultural goods. The USACC represents more than 100 agricultural commodity and farm member organizations, including USW and NAWG, that support improving rural economies and enhancing opportunities for U.S. agriculture through normalized trade with Cuba. Click here to read the letter.

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.

March 7, 2019/by actualize

Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “Obviously we hope that the trade environment improves soon but in the meantime, these funds will allow USW to increase marketing efforts and work on expanding markets in our key customer regions. Some of our largest, highest value markets took decades to build and we need to preserve those relationships to the best of our ability, while exploring new market opportunities…” — Bruce Freitag, a wheat farmer from North Dakota and Chairman of the North Dakota Wheat Commission, discussing new funding for export market development awarded by USDA. Read the full release here.

Two Changes to Official Falling Number Determination for Wheat. The USDA Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) plans changes to the Falling Number test to reduce inconsistency and variability in test results. Changes are a result of research work undertaken after farmers encountered a significant falling number problem in parts of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) in 2016 and increased efforts to reduce inconsistent results across FGIS lab locations. Learn more here.

Minnesota Wheat Accepting Applications for Executive Director. The Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council (MWRPC) and the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers (MAWG) are seeking candidates to succeed long-time Executive Director Dave Torgerson. After serving the two organizations and Minnesota wheat growers for over 30 years, Torgerson will retire on March 31, 2019. Click here for more information.

Buhler-KSU Milling Short Courses. The IGP Institute offers milling courses this spring at its campus in Manhattan, Kan., including: The Buhler-KSU Expert Milling course, offered in English March 4 to 8, 2019, and in Spanish March 11 to 15, 2019; the Buhler-KSU Executive Milling course, offered in English May 20 to 24, 2019. Click here to register for these courses.

Pasta Production and Technology Course. The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a Pasta Production and Technology Course April 30 to May 2, 2019, at its facilities in Fargo, ND. This course introduces participants to the fundamental and applied aspects of pasta production and quality. 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.

February 21, 2019/by actualize

Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “It is clear that we are at a tipping point for a growing number of producers. You can only lose money for so long. We’re at a vulnerable stage.” — Marc Knisely, CEO, AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Fargo, N.D., from an article in Politico, Feb. 6, 2019.

It is National Pizza Day in the United States on Feb. 9. More than 3 billion pizzas are served in U.S. restaurants and another 1 billion pizzas are sold frozen every year. Whether it is thin crust, Chicago-style, deep dish or anything in between, pizza is an American favorite – and that crust is ideal for holding your sauces and toppings because it is made with strong flour from U.S. hard red spring wheat! Enjoy your pizza and read more here.

Field to Market Strategic Plan. Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture’s new Strategic Plan builds on more than a decade of Field to Market’s role as the leading organization committed to defining, measuring and advancing sustainability in U.S. crop production. A major premise of the new plan involves leveraging the collective influence of the group’s diverse membership to meet this challenge and drive continuous improvement in environmental outcomes. National Association of Wheat Grower’s (NAWG) Environmental Policy Advisor Keira Franz represents NAWG on the board of directions. Read Field to Market’s release here.

2019 National Wheat Yield Contest. The National Wheat Foundation (NWF) is now accepting grower enrollment for the 2019 National Wheat Yield Contest. The Contest includes winter wheat and spring wheat primary categories and dryland and irrigated subcategories. NFW is accepting winter wheat entries between April and May 15, 2019, and spring wheat entries between June 15 and Aug. 1, 2019. Learn more here.

Buhler-KSU Milling Short Courses. The IGP Institute offers milling courses this spring at its campus in Manhattan, Kan., including: The Buhler-KSU Expert Milling course, offered in English March 4 to 8, 2019, and in Spanish March 11 to 15, 2019; the Buhler-KSU Executive Milling course, offered in English May 20 to 24, 2019. Click here to register for these courses.

Pasta Production and Technology Course. The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a Pasta Production and Technology Course April 30 to May 2, 2019, at its facilities in Fargo, ND. This course introduces participants to the fundamental and applied aspects of pasta production and quality. 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.

February 7, 2019/by actualize

Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “I really think [spring] wheat acres will see a resurgence because of the value of wheat in the rotation. In Minnesota and North Dakota, spring wheat is a premier, quality crop.” – Dave Torgerson, Executive Director, Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council and Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers.

Torgerson to Retire. Dave Torgerson has announced he will retire as Executive Director of the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council and the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers on March 31, 2019. Dave began his service to wheat growers in June 1987 as a Marketing Specialist and accepted the Executive Director position in 1990. Thank you, Dave, for your service to the U.S. wheat industry. All of us at USW wish you and your family all the best in a long and happy retirement.

2019 National Wheat Yield Contest. The National Wheat Foundation (NWF) is now accepting grower enrollment for the 2019 National Wheat Yield Contest. The Contest includes winter wheat and spring wheat primary categories and dryland and irrigated subcategories. NFW is accepting winter wheat entries between April and May 15, 2019, and spring wheat entries between June 15 and Aug. 1, 2019. Learn more here.

Birth Defects Prevention Month. Enriched grain foods supply iron and folic acid that significantly lower the risk of some birth defects. The Food Fortification Initiative estimated in 2017 that 86 countries require wheat flour, maize and/or rice fortification and that 50,270 brain and spine birth defects were prevented due to flour fortified with folic acid — an average of 137 healthier babies every day! Throughout January, The Wheat Foods Council and the Grains Foods Foundation are featuring several resources including a fact sheet and infographic for promotional use.

Buhler-KSU Milling Short Courses. The IGP Institute offers milling courses this spring at its campus in Manhattan, Kan., including: The Buhler-KSU Expert Milling course, offered in English March 4 to 8, 2019, and in Spanish March 11 to 15, 2019; the Buhler-KSU Executive Milling course, offered in English May 20 to 24, 2019. Click here to register for these courses.

Pasta Production and Technology Course. The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a Pasta Production and Technology Course April 30 to May 2, 2019, at its facilities in Fargo, ND. This course introduces participants to the fundamental and applied aspects of pasta production and quality. Click here to learn more and register.

Sincere Condolences to Ambassador Gregg Doud, Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative, and his family on the death of his mother, JoAnn Doud, following a tragic fall at the Doud family farm in Kansas. Amb. Doud is a former USW colleague who served as Market Analyst and Assistant Director of the West Coast Office.

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.

January 24, 2019/by actualize

Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “It’s been gratifying to witness the world’s receptiveness to U.S. farm and food products. Consumers worldwide have a true affinity for the American brand and immediately recognize the safety and quality of our products.”

— The Honorable Ted McKinney, USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. Read more here.

Congratulations. We are fortunate to have devoted, loyal colleagues at USW. This month Financial Accountant Cathy Marais from the USW Cape Town Office, is celebrating 25 years. Thank you, Cathy, for your service to our organization, to U.S. wheat farmers and to our customers around the world.

USDA Reports Delayed. Due to a lapse in federal funding, several USDA reports have been suspended since Dec. 22, 2018, and remain suspended. Given the lead time required for analysis and compilation Crop Production, Crop Production-Annual, World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), Grain Stocks, Winter Wheat Seedings and other reports will not be released on time. USDA will announce new release dates after funding is restored.

Promoting Wheat … Not Gluten-Free. The Michigan Wheat Program recently shared this: U.S. consumers are hearing less about gluten and staying away from wheat products. This fall, the top-rated Jimmy John’s^® sub [sandwich] shops made U.S.-grown wheat used in sandwich rolls the focal point of its marketing campaign. Jimmy John’s didn’t just mention whole grain buns but focused an entire advertising campaign on U.S.-grown wheat being used in its bread products. Click here to see the ad, which was filmed in a North Dakota wheat field.

Climate Change Effect on Wheat Quality Modeled. A group of European scientists recently published results of a study that simulated “the combined effects of CO₂, water, nitrogen and temperature on wheat grain protein concentration in a changing climate for the world’s main wheat producing regions.” The authors noted that based on their model, “climate change adaptations that benefit grain yield are not always positive for grain quality, putting additional pressure on global wheat production.” Full results of this single study are posted here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.14481.

Washington Grain Commission (WGC) and USW. USW is getting lots of coverage by WGC this month. USW Vice President of Overseas Operations is featured in the “Q&A” section of its website and Vice President of Communications Steve Mercer is interviewed for the “Wheat All About It!” podcast. WGC is one of 17 state wheat commission members of USW and we thank them for the recognition.

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.

January 10, 2019/by actualize

Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “After a rocky start, I’m just proud to turn a partisan bill into a bipartisan bill. That’s the way Congress is supposed to work.”

— House Agriculture ranking member Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) following passage of H.R.2, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill, by a vote of 369 to 47; the legislation now awaits President Trump’s signature. The Farm Bill includes renewed funding for export market development programs.

USDA Announces 2019 Trade Missions. USDA will sponsor trade missions in 2019 to Taiwan, Colombia, Vietnam, Kenya, Mexico, United Kingdom and Canada. “Agricultural trade missions offer phenomenal opportunities for U.S. exporters to explore new markets and forge relationships with potential customers,” said Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney. Click here to keep up to date on plans for USDA’s 2019 trade missions.

Planted Wheat Acres Down in Kansas. Wheat acres in Kansas will likely be lower than last year, possibly reaching 100-year lows in the state. Record precipitation throughout the state in October and below average temperatures in November helped add needed soil moisture, but also kept farmers out of the fields during fall harvest and wheat drilling time. Click here to read the full story.

Congratulations. We are fortunate to have devoted, loyal colleagues at USW. This month Program Manager and Secretary Ms. Heydy Langbroek, from the USW Rotterdam Office, is celebrating 20 years. Thank you, Heydy, for your service to our organization, to U.S. wheat farmers and to our customers around the world.

IGP Milling Courses. The IGP Institute will host an Introduction to Flour Milling course Jan. 14 to 18, 2019. No milling experience or theory is required for this course. For more information, follow this link. To register, click here. In March, the IGP Institute will offer its Buhler-KSU Expert Milling courses in English and Spanish. For more information on the training, follow this link. To register for the English offering, click here. For registration to course Spanish offering, click here.

Thrive Through Change. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture recently sponsored a seminar about how to be resilient in the face of change, featuring Australia’s Denis Hoiberg. Hosted at the Northern Crops Institute in Fargo, N.D., Hoiberg’s presentation is now posted online, compliments of Minnesota Farmers Union.

Wheat Marketing Center Activities. Over the next few months, the Wheat Marketing Center in Portland, Ore., has an active schedule of events including workshops for wheat growers, courses on laminated dough and an end-product collaborative event with USW. For more information, visit WMC’s informative website at https://www.wmcinc.org/.

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.

December 13, 2018/by actualize

Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “Everywhere I traveled with Alvaro de la Fuente, his customers always welcomed him as family. Alvaro and his lovely wife Betsy always did the same for colleagues, U.S. wheat farmers and state wheat commission representatives who were lucky enough to visit them and his team in Santiago. That personal warmth and the consistent results of his work, I think, will be Alvaro’s lasting example and legacy.”– USW President Vince Peterson in celebrating the career of now retired Regional Vice President Alvaro de la Fuente.

Disputing Grain-Free Diets. At a recent Oldways Whole Grains Council conference in the United States, several speakers provided reasons to increase whole grain intake and steer clear of grain-free diets. “There are hundreds of studies that substantiate the health benefits of whole grains,” said Kathleen Zelman, director of nutrition for WebMD. Studies have linked whole grain intake to a healtheri gut micro biome, a lower risk of stroke and a lower risk of colon cancer, she noted. Click here to read coverage of the conference by “BakingBusiness.com.”

Farm Bill Status. Today House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders made the following announcement on the state of 2018 U.S. Farm Bill negotiations: “We’re pleased to announce that we’ve reached an agreement in principle on the 2018 Farm Bill. We are working to finalize legal and report language as well as CBO [Congressional Budget Office] scores, but we still have more work to do. We are committed to delivering a new farm bill to America as quickly as possible.” USW trade servicing, technical support and other activities with overseas customers are funded partially by export market development programs included in U.S. farm legislation.

2018 National Wheat Yield Contest. Earlier this month, the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) announced the national and state winners for the 2018 National Wheat Yield Contest. The contest recognizes winners in two primary competition categories: winter wheat and spring wheat, and two subcategories: dryland and irrigated. The 2018 Contest included 82 growers from 23 states. View the list of national winners here and the list of state winners 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.

November 29, 2018/by actualize

Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “Farming is a challenging occupation, and I want to thank all of you and the thousands of farmers that you represent for staying the course.” – Chris Kolstad, USW Chairman and Montana wheat farmer

Thanksgiving. The USW Headquarters Office in Arlington, Va., and West Coast Office in Portland, Ore., will be closed Nov. 22 to 23 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Congratulations to Milling and Baking Technologist Tarik Gahi and his wife Sabrine who gave birth to a baby girl named Ayda on Nov. 2. We are very happy for our colleague and his family based in Casablanca, Morocco!

Commitment to Science-Based Regulations. The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) recently welcomed the proactive, coordinated action by 13 countries, including the United States, in signing onto the International Statement on Agricultural Applications of Precision Biotechnology. The statement reiterates an international commitment to the fair, science-based treatment of evolving plant breeding methods, like gene editing, around the world. “This is a strong showing of support by governments around the world in recognition of the necessity of continued evolution in plant breeding, and the critical role that it will play in ensuring a more sustainable and secure global food production system,” said ASTA President & CEO Andrew LaVigne. The statement was released Nov. 2 in Geneva at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

Scholarship Awarded. The 2018 National Wheat Foundation (NFW) and U.S. Wheat Associates Scholarship was awarded to Matthew Winterholler, a senior majoring in agricultural communications at Texas Tech University, during the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) convention Nov. 7. The scholarship is one of several awarded by the NAFB Foundation. NFW and USW donated funds for the scholarship to recognize the 75th anniversary of NAFB and U.S. farm broadcasters serving wheat growers around the country.

Washington Grower Breaks 200 Bushels Per Acre. Last week the National Wheat announced the winners of its 2018 National Wheat Yield Contest. Washington State wheat grower Phillip Gross topped the 200 bu/ac level for the first time ever in the contest and took top yield honors for the third year in a row. The contest recognizes winners in two primary competition categories: winter wheat and spring wheat, and two subcategories: dryland and irrigated with entries required to meet standard or better grade factors. Read more by clicking here.

A Project to Extend the Shelf Life and Improve the Flavor of whole wheat products was announced Nov. 6 as part of a new collaboration between U.S.-based Ardent Mills and Arcadia Biosciences Inc. The project relies on Arcadia’s patented “extended shelf life” wheat trait technology developed through traditional plant breeding. According to Arcadia and Ardent Mills, flour milled from that wheat oxidizes more slowly, extending its storage life, reducing waste and improving the taste by minimizing the bitterness some consumers associate with whole wheat products. Read more by clicking here.

National Wheat Foundation Scholarship. The National Wheat Foundation’s Jerry Minore Scholarship honors high school and college students pursuing an agricultural career. “The purpose of the Jerry Minore Scholarship is to help students who are passionate about agriculture at school and at home,” said National Wheat Foundation Chairman Wayne Hurst. “Our students are the future. They will go on to educate the next generation about wheat, agriculture and their role in society.” The application deadline is Dec. 1, 2018. Click here to learn more and apply.

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.

November 15, 2018/by actualize