You are here: / / Wheat Letter Blog
thumbnail
, , , , ,

Dependable People: A Spotlight on the Idaho Wheat Commission

For 40 years, U.S. wheat farmers have supported U.S. Wheat Associates’ (USW) efforts to work directly with buyers and promote their six classes of wheat. Their contributions to state wheat commissions, who in turn contribute a portion of those funds to USW, qualifies USW to apply for export market development funds managed by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Currently, 17 state wheat commissions are USW members and this series highlights those partnerships and the work being done state-by-state to provide unmatched service. Behind the world’s most reliable supply of wheat are the world’s most dependable people – and that includes our state wheat commissions.

Member: Idaho Wheat Commission
Member of USW since 1980

Location: Boise, Idaho
Classes of wheat grown: Hard Red Winter (HRW), Hard Red Spring (HRS), Hard White (HW), Soft White (SW), Durum
USW Leadership: Boyd Schwieder, 2005/06 Chairman; Jim McDonald, 2002/03 Chairman; Jerry Kress, 1998/99 Chairman; Dallin Reese, 1987/88 Chairman

Wheat is grown in 42 of Idaho’s 44 counties and ranks as the state’s second largest crop, behind potatoes. About half of Idaho’s crop goes to domestic mills and the other half is exported, primarily through Pacific Northwest (PNW) ports to Asian and Latin American customers. Idaho typically ranks in the top seven U.S. states for wheat production. An average of 1.2 million acres of wheat is planted each year and yields per acre are among the highest in the nation.

IWC Commissioner and wheat farmer Clark Hamilton was a member of the 2016 USW Board team that traveled to Japan and Korea.

Why is export market development important to Idaho wheat farmers and why do they continue to support USW and its activities?

Idaho exports about half of its wheat, but strong global demand contributes to the profitability of all Idaho growers by increasing farmgate wheat prices. Through its partnership with USW, the Idaho Wheat Commission (IWC) leverages the market intelligence and valuable customer relationships established around the world, in order to find new markets and sustain demand in established markets. USW programs bring the customers and growers together, facilitating a personal connection that is key to the continued success of the Idaho and U.S. wheat industries. We are grateful to USW for the work their team does to develop and maintain relationships for our growers with buyers in other countries and we wish for many more prosperous years to come.

IWC Commissioner and wheat farmer Joe Anderson (second from left) participated on the 2019 USW South Asia Board Team trip to the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia.

How have Idaho wheat farmers recently connected with overseas customers?

Idaho hosts multiple international trade delegations each year from many different countries. Participants follow the entire supply chain to see how wheat gets from the ground to its destination in the mill. These customers visit quality control labs and wheat breeding programs, visit farms and see how growers take care to produce high-quality wheat and then go on to visit the local grain handlers who move the wheat by rail, barge and container. Idaho is unique in that it has an inland “ocean port.” At the Lewis-Clark Terminal in Lewiston, Idaho, wheat is loaded onto barges that travel down the Columbia-Snake River System to the export facilities near Portland, Ore.

Additionally, IWC commissioners and staff regularly participate in events overseas. Recently, for example, Commissioner Clark Hamilton joined Idaho Governor Brad Little in a goodwill mission to Taiwan, a country with which IWC has a long and fruitful relationship. Commissioner Bill Flory also visited Japan with USW to meet with longtime friends of IWC and major buyers of SW, HRS and HRW wheat.

With the current travel restrictions, IWC is working to connect virtually with customers through USW online programs.

IWC Commissioner Bill Flory hosted the 2019 Philippine Trade Team on his farm.

What is happening lately in Idaho that overseas customers should know about?

  • Wheat growers in Idaho are diligently tending to their crops and working like any other year, despite the global pandemic. Favorable weather throughout the growing season has the crop in excellent condition just a few weeks from the start of harvest. The transportation system is running smoothly, and customers can expect mostly normal operations. The Columbia-Snake River System is critical for reliably and affordably shipping grains from the PNW to overseas markets.
  • Our new executive director, Casey Chumrau, has extensive international wheat marketing experience gained as a marketing manager for USW’s South American region, based in Santiago, Chile, and as a USW market analyst.*
  • IWC invests one-third of its annual budget into research that will help Idaho growers produce high-quality wheat that customers demand. Research ranges from production practices to end-use quality.

Learn more about the Idaho Wheat Commission on its website here and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.

*USW wants to thank Blaine Jacobson, who recently retired after many years as IWC’s executive director, for his dedicated service to wheat farmers and support for export market development.

Longtime IWC Executive Director Blaine Jacobson (L) retired in June 2020 after 18 years of service. He’s show here being congratulated by IWC Chairman Ned Moon.

IWC Commissioner and wheat farmer Jerry Brown represented Idaho at the 2017 USW Crop Quality Seminars in Asia.

IWC Commissioner Clark Hamilton (directly behind photo in white), a farmer from Idaho, participated on the 2018 USW Board Team that traveled to China and Taiwan.

IWC Commissioner and Idaho wheat farmer Bill Flory traveled to Japan with USW to participate in the 2019 Japan Buyers Conference.

/by
thumbnail

Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Speaking of Wheat: “Our export markets are critical to U.S. wheat farmers’ bottom lines as they see 50 percent of U.S. wheat exported each year. The grain inspection system is one of our key advantages over our competitors that has helped wheat and other U.S. commodities grow export markets. Our overseas customers value the independent system in place through the Grain Standards Act.” – Doug Goyings, USW Chairman and Paulding, Ohio wheat farmer, in response to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture’s business meeting to markup the United States Grain Standards Reauthorization Act (GSA) of 2020

Congratulations Colleagues. We are fortunate to have devoted, loyal colleagues at U.S. Wheat Associates, including two that recently celebrated milestones. Ann Murchison, Office Manager, USW West Coast Office, recently celebrated 25 years with USW, while Joe Sowers, Regional Vice President for Philippines and Korea, USW Manila Office, recently celebrated 15 years. Thank you, Ann and Joe, for your service to our organization, U.S. wheat farmers and our customers.

Phase One Deal with China Still Needed. USW joined the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and a coalition of almost 200 other agricultural organizations in a letter reiterating to the Trump Administration the importance of the U.S.-China Trade Agreement for U.S. agriculture and exports. “Today, the world grain and oilseed market is experiencing the greatest oversupply of production since the 1980s, and the United States is facing increasing competition from foreign sources,” the letter stated. Read the letter online here.

2020 National Wheat Yield Contest. On February 18, 2020, the National Wheat Foundation officially opened the 2020 National Wheat Yield Contest! The Contest is divided into two primary competition categories: winter wheat and spring wheat, and two subcategories: dryland and irrigated. The Foundation is currently accepting entries for the Spring Wheat category. The deadline to submit it August 1.

New Virtual Offerings for Women in Agribusiness Event Series. In a pivotal move to ensure event excellence during the changing business climate, the Women in Agribusiness (WIA) Summit series has announced virtual attendance options for its 2020 U.S. and international conferences in July and September.

Open Position in OWGL. Oregon Wheat Growers (OWGL) is looking to fill their Administrative Assistant/Membership Coordinator position. For more details on the job opening and how to apply, visit www.owgl.org/careers!

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 Facebook page at for the latest updates, photos and discussions of what is going on in the world of wheat. Also, find breaking news on Twitter, video stories on Vimeo and more on LinkedIn.

/by
thumbnail

Limited Elevation Capacity Supports Gulf Wheat Export Basis

By Claire Hutchins, USW Market Analyst

A swift uptick in export demand for U.S. soybeans, corn and sorghum is limiting export elevation capacity out of the Center Gulf, which supports nearby Gulf export basis for all classes of wheat. Between June 12 and June 19, Gulf 14.0 percent protein hard red spring (HRS) export basis increased 6 percent to $1.75/bu. Over the same period, Gulf 12.0 percent protein hard red winter (HRW) export basis increased 6 percent to $1.65/bu and Gulf soft red winter (SRW) export basis increased 7 percent to $0.75/bu.

Source: U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) weekly Price Report.

Soybeans. “A lot of customers are surprised by the fact that export capacity is filling up so quickly with soybeans,” said one industry contact. A significant increase in U.S. soybean exports to China this year compared to previous years is supporting overall soybean sales. According to USDA, the United States sold 1.79 million metric tons (MMT) of soybeans to China between May 14 and June 11 for delivery in 2019/20. That is nearly 4 times greater than the 360,000 metric tons (MT) sold to China over the same period in 2019. Soybean sales to all destinations, between April 2 and June 11, reached 7.34 MMT, nearly double the amount sold over the same period in 2019.

 Source: USDA FAS Weekly Export Sales as of June 11, 2020

Corn. Between April 2 and June 11, total U.S. corn export sales, to all destinations, reached 9.58 MMT, more than 80 percent greater than the volume sold over the same period in 2019. Export sales to Mexico, the largest market for U.S. corn, increased 79 percent year-over-year to 2.04 MMT during the previously noted 2020 period.

Source: USDA FAS Weekly Export Sales as of June 11, 2020

Sorghum. Total U.S. sorghum export sales, as of June 11, 2020, are nearly 4 times greater than this time last year at 4.01 MMT. Like soybeans, weekly sorghum exports to China were significantly greater between mid-May and Mid-June 2020, at 455,000 MT, compared to the same period in 2019.

 Source: USDA FAS Weekly Export Sales as of June 11, 2020

According to U.S. grain traders, customers might have difficulty finding export capacity for “grocery boats” (vessels containing multiple commodities or multiple classes of wheat) out of the Center Gulf for nearby deliveries. While the effect of limited elevation capacity is focused in the Center Gulf, it could also support wheat export basis levels out of all export regions.

/by
thumbnail
, , , ,

Dependable People: A Spotlight on the California Wheat Commission

For 40 years, U.S. wheat farmers have supported U.S. Wheat Associates’ (USW) efforts to work directly with buyers and promote their six classes of wheat. Their contributions to state wheat commissions, who in turn contribute a portion of those funds to USW, qualifies USW to apply for export market development funds managed by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Currently, 17 state wheat commissions are USW members and this series highlights those partnerships and the work being done state-by-state to provide unmatched service. Behind the world’s most reliable supply of wheat are the world’s most dependable people – and that includes our state wheat commissions.

Member: California Wheat Commission
Member of USW since 1994

Location: Woodland, Calif.
Classes of wheat grown: Hard Red Winter (HRW), Hard White (HW), Soft White (SW), Durum
USW Leadership:  Roy Motter, 2014/15 Chairman

Wheat is an important part of farming economics in California both as a valuable rotational crop and a primary crop. The California Wheat Commission’s (CWC) mission is “to support research that improves California wheat quality and marketability, and to develop and maintain domestic and international markets for California wheat.”

USW Past President Alan Tracy visited 2014/15 Chairman Roy Motter on his farm in California in 2015.

Why is export market development important to California wheat farmers and why do they continue to support USW and its activities?

Since wheat is a global commodity, U.S. pricing is tied to the ups and downs of the global marketplace. A strong export market leads to a higher market value and potentially a higher premium for California wheat. While flour milled from California wheat has many coveted qualities for baking, pasta and tortilla manufacturers, any pricing premium will be a percentage over the U.S. market. Due to the competition of other high value crops in California, bolstered global wheat prices influence additional planted and harvested acres of wheat. U.S. Wheat Associates unites wheat growers to work together for our common good. As wheat growers, we have all benefited from our membership and USW’s staff working on trade policy, opening new markets and strengthening relationships both domestically and globally to grow our industry.

How have California wheat farmers recently connected with overseas customers?

California wheat farmers connect with overseas customers in USW meetings. California also hosts customers from various mills as part of California Wheat Commission’s training courses. This face to face interaction and learning is the best way for us to build strong relationships with our customers.

What is happening lately in California that overseas customers should know about?

  • The California Wheat Lab offers milling, baking, pasta making and other flour-based product training. We partner with Andrea Saturno and Marco Fava to offer a pasta course in Spanish.
  • CWC is currently working on creating a targeted artisan baking product course for white and whole grain flours.
  • In collaboration with the University of California-Davis (UCD), CWC developed a new preferred variety list for hard white and hard red wheat and is developing a list for durum wheat. Also, in collaboration with UCD, we have released varieties with high fiber, high yellow pigment and increased protein content. Breeding for high nutrient density wheat crops continues to be a priority for the breeding program, in addition to quality and yield improvements.

Learn more about the California Wheat Commission on its website here and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin.

Past Chairman Roy Motter and his family’s California wheat farm were featured in a USW profile series on sustainability practices. View the profile here.

2014/15 Chairman Roy Motter, a wheat farmer from California (R) is congratulated on his year of service by 2013/14 Chairman Dan Hughes, a wheat farmer from Nebraska (L).

CWC Executive Director Claudia Carter at the California Wheat Lab.

/by
thumbnail
,

The Future of Plant Breeding Depends on Sound Science-Based Policy

By Shelbi Knisley, USW Director of Trade Policy

New breeding technologies are forecast to offer many promises for consumers, producers and the environment. Plant Breeding Innovations (PBI) is a term defined by the International Seed Federation as, “the constantly evolving ideas and practices which enhance the field of plant breeding. Today’s innovations in plant breeding are developed using sophisticated science and technologies including cell biology, gene mapping and marker-assisted breeding.”

Benefits

Unlike GMOs, gene editing technologies such as CRISPR and TALENs represent a breeding method in which precise changes are made to an organism’s genome, changes that many of which may also occur naturally in nature. These technologies do not require insertion of a “foreign” gene into the plant variety being developed.

Gene editing and other PBIs show excellent potential to improve food safety and affordability. Calyxt is a commercial organization that has developed a gene edited soybean offering the health benefits of zero trans-fat and reduced saturated fat oil. The company is also developing a high fiber wheat variety that could help many consumers meet recommended dietary fiber needs. Gene editing can also assist in reducing food waste. Intrexon (now known as Precigen) used this technology to create non-browning lettuce, which would extend its shelf life.

Producers are expected to see economic and environmental benefits from these innovations by using fewer crop protection inputs to grow more food on the same amount of land leading to less environmental impact – something an increasing number of consumers have shown they care about as well.

Global Regulations

Many countries are formulating policies on these new technologies. In mid-May the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) released revised rules on biotechnology. Under these rules, USDA stated that “gene edited products may be exempt from strict regulation so long as no “plant pest” is present, and the products could be produced through traditional breeding methods.”  Two other regulators, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are expected to release their regulations in the future.

Japan has stated it will not label or regulate genome edited products as genetically engineered products. Some other countries that have put in process methods of regulating these new technologies are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and Canada, with various ways of monitoring, such as consultative process or trait-based approaches. Alternately, the European Court of Justice ruled in June 2018 that gene editing would be regulated like GMOs.

To ensure that these new breeding techniques can fulfill their potential, wide-ranging benefits, governments should rely on sound science to develop policies. If unproven fears lead to highly regulated policies, the risk of disruption in international trade will be increased unnecessarily.

Collaboration

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) regularly discuss breeding technologies and track how various governments are planning to regulate those products through our joint Wheat Breeding Innovation Committee. Any gene edited wheat varieties are expected to be several years away from commercialization. During that time, USW and NAWG will continue to work hand in hand with all sectors of the wheat value chain to ensure growers have access to technology and that our international customers can continue to count on access to the highest quality wheat in the world.

More information about how USW and NAWG support new plant breeding techniques  through science-based policies can be found here.

/by
thumbnail
, ,

Wheat Export Market Development Goes Virtual – For Now

Despite the different roles or distances between us, all the people around the world in the story of U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) share an unspoken connection, not only through U.S. wheat, but also through our shared values of growth, hard work and family.

Today, those connections may have been physically broken by concern for our health during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the effort to keep those bonds strong continues thanks to the miracle of the Internet.

USW has adapted before to circumstances that kept our representatives apart from overseas customers. Our regional office in Mexico City used online tools to successfully conduct virtual Crop Quality Seminars with Venezuelan customers since 2015.

With forethought that looks uncanny today, USW Director of Information Services Terry Herman in 2019 installed the latest collaboration software from Microsoft that has become a lifeline to customers who initially were very concerned that the pandemic would disrupt the flow of wheat from the United States. USW quickly put the new tool to work to help reassure customers that the U.S. wheat store would stay open.

USW Singapore Biscuit/Bakery and Noodle Technologist Ivan Goh presented a webinar on “SRC as a Quality Control Tool” to a Philippine food company May 21, 2020, one of many such online presentations USW is now conducting to stay in touch with its customers

“It was very important to have the ability to connect personally, even if it was through virtual meetings,” said USW Vice President of Overseas Operations Mike Spier. “With the restrictions and a new wheat crop coming there were lots of questions about supply to answer. I don’t think you can ever replace the value of face-to-face meetings but being able to quickly turn to online tools that allow us to see and hear each other sure helps to reinforce the relationships.”

Using its new platform, for example, USW Manila has conducted an online meeting with more than 50 Philippine flour millers to discuss current supply and demand factors. The tool helped USW reach out to flour millers across Sub-Saharan Africa. USW Santiago is holding almost daily meetings on the platform with customers in several South American countries

In April, USW Singapore worked with a local partner to conduct a two-hour webinar on cookie and cracker production featuring USW Bakery Consultant Roy Chung for 194 baking industry professionals from key U.S. wheat markets including the Philippines and Indonesia. A second webinar to South Asian customers in May focused on cake production. USW Santiago and USW Cape Town also partnered with Kansas Wheat to hold virtual trade teams that featured harvest progress, early crop quality and price expectations, and online video discussions with farmers live from their fields.

These are only a few examples of how USW, with support from its state wheat commission members, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, farmers and other industry organizations, is working to secure the trusted partnerships they have built with overseas customers – even in the midst of such an unexpected disruption.

 

/by
thumbnail

Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Speaking of Wheat: “We go that extra step to take care of the ground because we’re excited when it produces better. It’s a family heritage thing. This is what my grandparents did, they passed it down to my father and now it’s going to be passed down to me and I want to pass it on to my children.” – Kyler Millershaski, Kleeman/Millershaski Farms, Lakin, Kan. Hear more from Kyler about his family’s story here.

Congratulations Colleagues. We are fortunate to have devoted, loyal colleagues at U.S. Wheat Associates (USW). This month, Vince Peterson and Mina El Hachimi are celebrating 35 years with the organization. Peterson is USW President in the USW Headquarters Office in Arlington, Va., and El Hachimi is Senior Administrative Consultant in the USW Casablanca Office. Thank you, Vince and Mina, for your service to our organization, U.S. wheat farmers and our customers.

USW Submits Export Plan to FAS. USW submitted its latest Unified Export Strategy (UES) plan to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) on June 8, 2020. Funding is not guaranteed, and each year USW Vice President of Planning and Programs Jennifer Sydney and USW’s overseas offices work for several months to create this comprehensive U.S. wheat export plan.

World Food Prize Announces 2020 Laureate. Dr. Rattan Lal of Ohio State University, a native of India and a citizen of the United States, will receive the 2020 World Food Prize for developing and mainstreaming a soil-centric approach to increasing food production that restores and conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change. See more about Dr. Lal and The World Food Prize here.

Idaho Wheat Commission Executive Director Retires. After 18 years at the helm of the Idaho Wheat Commission (IWC), Blaine Jacobson will end his leadership tenure in June. Jacobson spent a decade as chairman of the joint USW and National Association of Wheat Growers Food Aid Working Group. We wish him a long and happy retirement. Former USW Santiago Marketing Manager Casey Chumrau will become IWC’s Executive Director. Read more.

Early Bird Registration for Spring Wheat Yield Contest. The National Wheat Foundation officially opened the 2020 National Wheat Yield Contest in February 2020. The Foundation is currently accepting entries for Spring Wheat until Aug. 1 with an early registration deadline of June 15.

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 Facebook page at for the latest updates, photos and discussions of what is going on in the world of wheat. Also, find breaking news on Twitter, video stories on Vimeo and more on LinkedIn.

/by
thumbnail
, ,

Dependable People: A Spotlight on the Kansas Wheat Commission

For 40 years, U.S. wheat farmers have supported U.S. Wheat Associates’ (USW) efforts to work directly with buyers and promote their six classes of wheat. Their contributions to state wheat commissions, who in turn contribute a portion of those funds to USW, qualifies USW to apply for export market development funds managed by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Currently, 17 state wheat commissions are USW members and this series highlights those partnerships and the work being done state-by-state to provide unmatched service. Behind the world’s most reliable supply of wheat are the world’s most dependable people – and that includes our state wheat commissions.

Member: Kansas Wheat Commission
Member of USW since 1980

Location: Manhattan, Kan.
Classes of wheat grown: Hard Red Winter (HRW); Hard White (HW)
USW Leadership: Adrian J. Polansky, 1985/86 Chairman; Joe Berry, 1996/97 Chairman; Ron Suppes, 2007/08 Chairman

The Kansas Wheat Commission represents “farmers investing in their future.” The grower-funded and governed advocacy organization works to secure a future for Kansas wheat in the global market. International trade, research, export system studies and continually improving wheat varieties are how Kansas wheat remains competitive in the world market. Through a voluntary two cent check-off on every bushel of wheat produced, Kansas wheat growers enhance their productivity and profitability.

USW 2007/08 Chairman Ron Suppes (L), a wheat farmer from Kansas, passes the gavel to Michael Edgar, a wheat farmer from Arizona.

Why is export market development important to Kansas wheat farmers and why do they continue to support USW?

Kansas wheat farmers support USW because of the technical expertise and trade assistance they provide to export customers, whose purchases account for about half of the wheat grown in Kansas each year. Much of this wheat is transported by rail to Mexico or to the Gulf of Mexico for export. Mexico is a growing market for Kansas wheat because of free trade policies, population and economic growth and a comparative advantage in transportation logistics.

Gary Millershaski, a USW director and Kansas wheat farmer, was featured along with his family recently in this video, “Stories from the Wheat Farm – The Next Generation in Kansas.”

How have Kansas wheat farmers recently connected with overseas customers?

Each year, international customers travel to Kansas to learn more about the crop, the U.S. wheat grain production and marketing system and the farmers that grow the wheat they buy. These trade teams usually consist of procurement agents, flour millers and executives. They come to Kansas to get a first-hand look at each new crop as it nears the end of its growing season. They discuss the U.S. grading and inspection system to learn how to write their specifications to receive the best product at the most efficient price.

In addition, Kansas wheat farmers and members of the Kansas Wheat staff travel with USW to participate in buyers’ conferences and on USW board teams. We speak at events for international buyers and work with the IGP Institute to provide training to customers.

Kansas wheat farmer Jay Armstrong (R) participated on the 2018 USW Board Team that traveled to South Africa and Nigeria. He is pictured here in a South African wheat field. Read more about this trip here.

A USW Trade Delegation from Nigeria visited in Kansas in 2012. Kansas Wheat has a long history with the Nigerian milling industry and typically hosts customers from there each year.

A USW Sub Saharan Trade Delegation visiting Kansas in 2019.

This year, trade teams look different with current travel restrictions, so Kansas Wheat is reaching out to have virtual discussions with international customers. In June, we are hosting Zoom® meetings with customers from Brazil and Sub-Saharan Africa. While these buyers will not be able to set foot in a Kansas wheat field, they will get the latest information about the 2020 Kansas hard red winter (HRW) and hard white (HW) winter wheat crops, get an early report on grade and non-grade factors, get a live report from a Kansas wheat field, talk to a farmer, and visit with a grain trade representative. There will be a question and answer session for all participants.

What is happening lately in Kansas that overseas customers should know about?

Wheat harvest in Kansas is just beginning. This year’s crop has had some struggles, from drought conditions last fall, to continued spring drought in the southwest and north central parts of the state, to a damaging April freeze. While the quantity of the crop will likely be slightly lower than normal, the test weight and protein of this year’s crop will likely be above average. There will be enough wheat to meet our customers’ needs.

Kansas Wheat CEO Justin Gilpin (center) gives guests a tour of the Wheat Genetics Resource Center. Learn more about wheat research and breeding here.

The Kansas Wheat Innovation Center (KWIC) was built by the Kansas Wheat Commission, through the Kansas wheat check-off, to get improved wheat varieties into the hands of farmers faster. It represents the single largest research investment by Kansas wheat farmers in history. The KWIC was built on land owned by Kansas State University and is leased to the Kansas Wheat Commission for 50 years. Construction was completed in November 2012. Four new greenhouse bays were completed in spring 2018. Construction of a wheat quality lab housed in the KWIC will be completed this summer.

The KWIC is also home of the world-renowned Wheat Genetics Resource Center (WGRC). The WGRC has established a national and international network to conduct and coordinate genetic studies in wheat. The WGRC has also been recently designated as a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. This is the first I/UCRC focusing on plant sciences. The NSF Center is a collaboration between private wheat genetics companies and public universities including Kansas State University, Colorado State University and Washington State University. The goal is to leverage the wide genetic diversity of wheat to improve modern varieties.

Learn more about the Kansas Wheat Commission on its website here and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

In 2019, Kansas wheat farmer Brian Linin testified on behalf of U.S. wheat farmers on the importance of the grain inspection system for U.S. export markets. Read more.

Past USW Chairman and Kansas wheat farmer Ron Suppes spoke at an event for the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba.

Kansas wheat farmer Justin Knopf is featured in USW’s sustainability profiles here.

Past USW Chairman and Kansas wheat farmer Ron Suppes (green shirt), joined USW on its “Food Aid Learning Journey” to Tanzania in 2017. Read more about this trip here.

/by
thumbnail

Commercial U.S. Wheat Export Sales Top USDA Estimate

By Claire Hutchins, USW Market Analyst

Despite challenging market factors, U.S. wheat exports for marketing year (MY) 2019/20, which ended May 31, totaled 26.9 million metric tons* (MMT) (988 million bushels), ahead of USDA’s export volume estimate of 26.4 MMT (970 million bushels). That is 4 percent ahead of MY 2018/19 and 10 percent greater than the 5-year average of 24.4 MMT (897 million bushels).

Commercial sales of all classes of wheat in MY 2019/20 exceeded 2018/19 levels in part from favorable market factors including abundant exportable supplies, strong harvest qualities, and competitive export prices at the beginning of the marketing year.

This offset such bearish factors as a strong U.S. dollar, competitor’s advantages, difficult winter wheat planting conditions, significant delays to the spring wheat and durum harvests, uncertainty about U.S. trade policies, and recent challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the year, even in the face of the pandemic restrictions on meetings and travel, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) representatives were able to sustain a strong level of service and information flow to its customers, with support from its state commissions members and USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service export market development programs.

Hard Red Winter. Significantly greater production and attractive export prices buoyed hard red winter (HRW) exports year-over-year. Total 2019/20 HRW exports came in at 10.2 MMT (375 million bushels), 9 percent ahead of last year. According to USDA, higher yields due to cool, moist conditions during the 2019 growing season more than offset decreased planted area. HRW production increased 26 percent in 2019/20 to 22.7 MMT (834 million bushels). The average HRW export price in the first two months of MY 2019/20 fell 4 percent from the year prior to $233/MT. Increased exports to Mexico, the largest market for HRW, Taiwan, Indonesia, Brazil and Colombia more than offset reduced exports to Nigeria, Japan, Iraq and Egypt. Sales to Mexico totaled 2.61 MMT (95.9 million bushels), the highest on record and 22 percent more than last year. Sales to Nigeria, the second largest market for HRW, fell 11 percent from last year to 1.01 MMT (37.1 million bushels). HRW sales to China picked up in 2019/20 to 302,000 MT (11.1 million bushels) compared to the zero metric tons sold in 2018/19.

Hard Red Spring. Total hard red spring (HRS) commercial sales of 8.0 MMT (294 million bushels) were 12 percent greater than last year and 36 percent greater than the 5-year average of 1.45 MMT (53.3 million bushels). Exportable supplies were relatively stable year-over-year as higher beginning stocks in 2019/20 cushioned reduced production. Commercial sales to the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Vietnam, the top five export markets for HRS, all outpaced 2018/19 sales. HRS sales to China for delivery in 2019/20 at 146,000 MT (5.36 million bushels) were more than 4 times greater than the quantity sold for delivery in 2018/19.

Soft Red Winter. Soft red winter (SRW) sales fell 27 percent on the year to 2.45 MMT (90.0 million bushels) as reduced exportable supplies supported export prices. USDA estimates 2019/20 SRW production fell 17 percent from last year to 6.50 MMT (239 million bushels). The average SRW export price for 2018/19 was $217/MT, but for almost the entire second half of the marketing year, SRW futures prices were higher than HRW futures. Exports to 8 out of the top 10 SRW markets fell below 2018/19. Sales to Mexico, the top market for SRW, fell 11 percent from last year to 815,000 MT (29.9 million bushels). Price sensitive buyer Egypt made no SRW purchases in MY 2019/20. Sales to Colombia, the fourth largest market for SRW, increased 11 percent year-over-year to 288,000 MT (10.6 million bushels).

White Wheat. Total commercial sales of soft white (SW) and hard white (HW) wheat of 5.37 MMT (197 million bushels) were slightly less than last year but still 14 percent ahead of the 5-year average of 4.69 MMT (172 million bushels). HW sales represent about 4 percent of the total. Sales to 3 of the top 5 white wheat markets fell below 2018/19. Sales to Japan, the second largest market for white wheat, fell 21 percent from last year to 701,000 MT (25.8 million bushels). Sales to the Philippines, the top market for white wheat, increased 14 percent from last year to 1.51 MMT (55.5 million bushels).

White Wheat Sales

Note that USDA reports both SW and hard white (HW) in its U.S. White Wheat commercial sales. HW represents about 4% of total White Wheat sales.

Durum. USDA reported 2019/20 durum sales at 965,000 MT (35.5 million bushels), nearly double last year’s figure and 70 percent greater than the 5-year average on significantly increased European Union (EU) imports. EU durum production fell 14 percent year-over-year on sharply lower harvested area, prompting greater imports from the United States. Italian imports of U.S. durum nearly tripled last year’s import volume at 672,000 MT (24.7 million bushels).

*Slight adjustments will be made when final commercial sales data is published on June 11.

/by
thumbnail
, , ,

Stories from the Wheat Farm – The Next Generation in Kansas

U.S. wheat farm families grow six distinct classes of wheat across the diverse landscape of the United States. Those farmers take great care in producing the highest quality wheat in the most sustainable ways possible to honor their family legacies and to ensure greater value for their customers at home and abroad. Behind the world’s most reliable supply of wheat are the world’s most dependable people.

The Kleeman/Millershaski Family: Gary Millershaski started farming with his father-in-law Earl Kleeman in 1992 and his sons Jeremy and Kyler joined the operation four years ago. Sadly, Earl passed away in 2019, but not before he proudly helped harvest what was one of the family’s best wheat crops in years. Kyler Millershaski is excited to build on his family’s legacy as the next generation on the farm.

Location: Lakin, Kansas
Classes of Wheat Grown:  Hard Red Winter (HRW) and Hard White (HW)
Leadership:
Gary Millershaski: Past President, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers; Kansas Wheat Commissioner; USW Director
Kyler Millershaski: Vice President, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers 

/by

Think Farm Export Programs Don’t Matter? Think Again.

GET THE REST OF THE STORY

DTN Wheat Detail
DTN Corn Detail

2008-2013 U.S. Wheat Associates. All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy | Non-Discrimination Statement