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USW Submits Trade Barriers Report with Additional Detail on China and India

By Dalton Henry, USW Vice President of Policy

Each year, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) compiles and publishes the National Trade Estimates (NTE) report — a comprehensive report detailing barriers that U.S. exporters, including wheat farmers, face in markets around the world.

The first step in compiling the massive report (last year’s came in at 537 pages), is to collect feedback from the export stakeholders. U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) participates in this process each year by consulting with our offices overseas, talking to customers and researching trade barriers. That work culminated last week when USW submitted to USTR its compiled information, covering barriers in a dozen wheat importing countries.

Each year, many of the challenges highlighted in USW’s submission are issues that remain unresolved. This year, however, USW’s reports about on-going concerns with China and India were substantially changed.

The new report on barriers in China reflect the progress made since last year to bring China’s wheat import tariff rate quota (TRQ) and wheat subsidy policies into compliance with the government’s WTO commitments. This year’s report reflects the progress made in those areas as a result of the two WTO cases the United States won last spring, and China’s initial policy proposals to address those WTO rulings.

While the report shows some progress in the China section, it highlights a growing area of concern in India. India runs subsidy programs very similar to China, including minimum purchase prices and input subsidies. USW and USTR have demonstrated previously that India is well outside of its WTO limits in the level of government subsidies. Those subsidies have spurred excess production and subsequent wheat stocks that, once at a critical mass, India must subsidize to dump onto the world market. USDA projects that Indian wheat ending stocks will exceed 20 million metric tons (MMT) for 2019/20 — a level that historical data shows will likely result in India resuming wheat exports in the near future.

USW’s most recent NTE report can be found online here. It provides an overview of the key issues that USW works on every year and supplies USTR with up-to-date information on ongoing problems in wheat trade. In doing so, it fills a vital role in the enforcement of trade rules, something that U.S. farmers and their customers overseas want to see more than ever.

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Expanded Trade Delegation Effort Connects Buyers, Farmers and U.S. Wheat Organizations

By Catherine Miller, USW Program and Planning Coordinator

One of the most important types of activities U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) overseas representatives conduct is trade service. In other words, they help their customers understand how to get the most value as possible from their U.S. wheat purchases. A crucial part of trade service is giving many of those customers the chance to experience the U.S. wheat supply system first hand.

Each year, USW brings several delegations of international wheat buyers and end-product processors to the United States. These trade delegations help forge a direct connection for customers with farmers, state wheat leaders and industry organizations. In many ways, these visits represent the legacy of commitment from farmers, state wheat commissions, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service of USDA and USW to demonstrate the dependability of the people who produce and handle the reliable supply of U.S. wheat.

In 2019, the number of USW hosted trade delegates doubled from the previous year, with a total of 18 delegations. Almost 100 customers from around the world visited 14 states.

One delegation from Brazil, for example, was the first trade team from South America to focus exclusively on the technical staff from major mills. The participants were chosen because they have significant input on buying decisions and wheat classes used by their respective mills. They visited farmers and industry representatives in Ohio and Kansas, reflecting their interest in soft red winter (SRW) and hard red winter (HRW). The photo at the top of this page was taken as the delegation visited the Stover Farm in Shelby, Ohio. The timing of the delegation in June was ideal because in March, Brazil’s government had announced it would work toward opening a tariff rate quota to allow a significant volume of wheat to be imported from outside the South American Mercosur trade agreement.

U.S. wheat farmers benefit directly from USW helping customers around the world succeed in growing the profitability and consumer appeal of their flour and wheat foods products. That starts with activities like trade delegations demonstrating that, despite obvious differences, the people who grow, move and sell U.S. wheat share values of growth, hard work and family with the people who import, mill and process it.

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Researchers Create Method to Identify Drought-Resilient Wheat

Originally published Oct. 30, 2019, in “World Grain” by Susan Reidy. Editor’s Note: U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) supports advanced breeding methods such as the work described here from Australia as beneficial to farmers and international wheat buyers. Photo above: Arun Yadav from the Research School of Biology and ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology at Australian National University (ANU). Photo by Lannon Harley, ANU.

Australian researchers have developed a new method to identify drought-resilient wheat quickly, cheaply and accurately.

Work by the scientists from The Australian National University (ANU), ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, and CSIRO Agriculture and Food could help breeders develop more drought-resilient crops that can produce more food and more profit with less water.

“Our work may be instrumental for farmers to maximize food production in the face of increasingly severe drought,” said Arun Yadav from the Research School of Biology and ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology at ANU.

Yadav and the other lead researcher Adam Carroll said selecting wheat that can grow better during short- to medium-term drought is vital to help fight food insecurity around the world.

“Hardy crop plants that can maintain high yields under drought will help farmers produce more food reliably and maintain domestic and export markets for Australia,” Yadav said. “Drought is a major agricultural challenge in Australia, affecting food production, farmers’ livelihoods and costing the government billions of dollars in relief efforts.”

The simple test measured the relative abundance of four amino acids in wheat plants to predict their ability to maintain yield under drought much more accurately than current methods, Carroll said.

“This test can be done precisely in greenhouses all year round, at a fraction of the cost of traditional field-based methods,” he said. “Plus, it gives more accurate predictions.”

Professor Barry Pogson, a 2019 Eureka Prize winner and deputy director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology at ANU, was also a member of the research team.

“If breeders are provided with 1,000 wheat varieties to choose from, they can select the drought resilient lines through a simple assessment of the four amino acids we’ve identified,” Pogson said. “The challenge is for us to show this technique does scale beyond the varieties we have tested to date.”

Greg Rebetzke and Gonzalo Estavillo from CSIRO Agriculture and Food conducted grain-yield evaluations under extensive field trials across the Australian wheat belt, which enabled the team to build a statistical model of the drought-tolerance predictor.

The study was funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis.

The study is published in the Journal of Experimental Botany.

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U.S. Commercial Export Sales Pace Ahead of 2018/19

Three and a half months into marketing year 2019/20, total U.S. export sales* as of Oct. 15 of 13.8 million metric tons (MMT), 14 percent ahead of last year’s pace. Sales to four of the top 10 U.S. wheat customers are ahead of last year’s pace. Export sales to Mexico, the top U.S. customer over a five-year period, are up 50 percent year-over-year at 2.09 MMT. Sales to Nigeria total 936,000 metric tons (MT), up sharply from the 569,000 MT sold this time last year. All U.S. wheat classes except hard red spring (HRS) and white wheat are ahead of last year’s pace. USDA projects 2019/20 U.S. wheat exports will rise to 25.9 MMT. If realized, this would be 1 percent higher than 2018/19.

HRW. USDA reported hard red winter (HRW) year-to-date exports at 5.13 MMT, 52 percent ahead of the 2018/19 HRW sales pace on the same date. Mexico is currently the number one HRW purchaser and HRW sales to Mexico are 54 percent ahead of last year’s pace. As of Oct. 10, HRW sales to Mexico totaled 1.27 MMT. Sales to Nigeria are more than double last year’s pace at 567,000 MT. Japanese HRW purchases total 488,000 MT, up 7 percent from 2018/19.

SRW. 2019/20 soft red winter (SRW) sales are up 14 percent year-over-year at 1.72 MMT. Sales to 4 out of 5 of the top buyers of U.S. SRW are ahead of last year’s pace. Year-to-date, Mexico has purchased 550,000 MT, 15 percent more than last year. Nigerian SRW purchases total 142,000 MT, 50 percent ahead of last year’s pace. Sales to other Latin American countries, including Trinidad and Tobago and Panama are also ahead of 2018/19 exports.

HRS sales of 3.77 MMT are only 1 percent behind the last year’s pace. As of Oct. 10, buyers in Taiwan purchased 353,000 MT, up 5 percent from 2018/19. Taiwan is the third-largest buyer of HRS. Sales to South Korea, the fourth-largest buyer of HRS, are up 10 percent from last year at 294,000 MT. Year-to-date sales to Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia, are behind last year’s pace. This time last year, there were no HRS sales to China. So far in 2019/20, the U.S. has sold 63,000 MT of HRS to China.

White. As of Oct. 11, exports of all white wheat (including soft white and hard white) are down 14 percent year-over-year at 2.62 MMT. Sales to 4 out of the top 5 customers of U.S. white wheat are down from last year. Sales to the Philippines, the largest customer of soft white (SW) wheat, are down 6 percent from 2018/19 at 660,000 MT.  SW food aid donations to Yemen are up 79 percent from this time last year at 231,000 MT. Minimal access to the Chinese market is also impacting SW sales. In 2017/18, China had purchased 271,000 MT of SW by this date.

It should be noted that the white sales to Nigeria of 123,000 MT are hard white (HW). USDA does not differentiate between the 2 classes on the Export Sales Report. HW sales to Nigeria in 2019/20 are 9 percent ahead of last year’s pace.

Durum. Year-to-date durum exports total 497,000 MT, up 59 percent from the same time last year. To date, the European Union (EU), Algeria and Nigeria are the top durum buyers. Year-to-date sales to the EU total 269,000 MT (9.88 million bushels), more than double last year’s pace. Italy is the top durum buyer in the EU. U.S. durum sales to Italy are up 165 percent from last year at 248,000 MT. Increased sales to the EU more than offset decreased sales to Algeria and Nigeria. Algerian durum sales are down 30 percent from last year at 45,000 MT and Nigerian durum sales are down 58 percent from 2018/19 at 28,000 MT. There is also a significant portion of these 2019/20 durum sales currently designated as “sales to unknown destinations.”

*U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) publishes a new Commercial Sales report every Thursday documenting wheat export sales-to-date by country and class for the current marketing year compared to the previous marketing year on the same date. The report also includes a 10-year commercial sales history by class and country. Data is sourced from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Weekly Export Sales Report.

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Wheat Industry News

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 96th 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.

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Welcome News for Science-Based Regulation of Plant Breeding Innovations

By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Assistant Director of Policy

A recent decision by Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency is a great step forward for innovative breeding methods that can help farmers address some of the world’s most urgent challenges.

The agency announced that Japan’s government will not require special labeling for products derived from plant breeding innovation, such as gene editing, that do not contain foreign DNA. Japan has a history of skepticism toward new agricultural technology. For example, it requires products that include transgenic traits be labeled as such. The Consumer Affairs Agency’s decision is important because it helps add clarity to how gene editing may be regulated and supports advanced technology development.

That is good news for agriculture in general, even more so for wheat production specifically. Unlike other major row crops in the U.S., there are no wheat varieties with commercialized GM traits. That means farmers do not have access to the seed technology that has helped others. We see this disadvantage in declining acres and in a slower pace of yield increases compared to soybeans, corn and other crops U.S. farmers can grow. Gene editing provides a safe and efficient way to make targeted improvements in new wheat varieties that respond to environmental stressors, combat plant disease, and benefit millers and consumers alike. However, these benefits are only possible when regulations are based in science rather than rooted in fear.

With changing climates, severe weather events, and perennial concerns like drought, disease, and pests, it is imperative that the world’s farmers have access to the best tools available. And this includes their seed. With those tools, we can ensure that U.S. farmers are providing the highest possible quality wheat consistently and reliably for years to come.

For more information about a growing understanding of DNA and advanced breeding methods in agriculture, and to learn how innovations such as gene editing can benefit our planet, our health and our food, visit www.innovature.com.

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USW Publishes Annual Crop Quality Report and Hosts Seminars to Help Customers Make Purchasing and Milling Decisions

As a key part of its commitment to transparency and trade service, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) produces an annual Crop Quality Report that includes grade, flour and baking data for all six U.S. wheat classes. The report compiles comprehensive data from analysis of hundreds of samples conducted during and after harvest by our partner organizations and laboratories. The report provides essential, objective information to help buyers get the wheat they need at the best value possible.

The 2019 USW Crop Quality Report is now available for download in English, Spanish, French and Italian, and will be available in Chinese and Arabic soon. USW also shares more detailed, regional reports for all six U.S. wheat classes on its website, as well as additional information on its sample and collection methods, solvent retention capacity (SRC) recommendations, standard deviation tables and more. Download these reports and resources from the website here.

USW’s annual Crop Quality Seminars are already underway and will continue over the next month around the world. USW invites its overseas customers, including buyers, millers and processors, to these seminars led by USW staff, U.S. wheat farmers, state wheat commission staff and educational partner organizations. The seminars dive into grade factors, protein levels, flour extraction rates, dough stability, baking loaf volume, noodle color and texture and more for all six U.S. wheat classes and are tailored to focus on the needs and trends in each regional market.

In 2019, USW is projected to host 43 seminars in 41 countries, including official seminars in the South America region for the first time in several years.

Customers have previously shared that they use the report throughout the year as a reference manual and to guide them through purchases and future planning. The seminars allow U.S. and USW experts to interpret the data and how to use it. Customers will often use the seminars and report as educational training for new employees.

The reports and seminars have been a traditional part of USW’s strategy since 1959, growing to become its single largest marketing activity.

Look for updates from the 2019 USW Crop Quality Seminars on Facebook and Twitter.

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Bad Weather Interrupts New Crop Northern Durum Harvest and Affects Quality

Durum production in the U.S. Northern Plains is down from 2018 with a reduction in overall quality due to historic late season rain and snow that also interrupted harvest. Due to the unusual conditions, the entire crop is not represented in this year’s data. Buyers should be extra vigilant and evaluate the importance of each factor for their end-use needs. Premium contract specifications will command higher prices, but good value can be obtained with diligent contract specifications. Ample carryover supplies from the excellent quality 2018 crop will be helpful in meeting traditional quality needs of buyers, but some parameters may still prove challenging.

That is a summary of northern durum crop quality from the upcoming U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) 2019 Crop Quality Report. Desert Durum® data is reported separately. The National Agricultural Statistics Service collected 166 samples from North Dakota and Montana and the Durum Quality Lab at North Dakota State University analyzed the samples. Funding for the annual survey come from USW member state wheat commissions and the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. Complete 2019 crop quality data for all six U.S. wheat classes will soon be available online and at annual USW Crop Quality Seminars.

Weather and Harvest: Planting began in early May and ended the first week of June; crop emergence was slow. Mid-season rain boosted development and yield potential. Harvest began late, in mid-August, but with historic rainfall levels, less than 50% of the crop had been harvested by mid-September. The adverse weather continued into October, including periods of heavy snow, compromising quality on a large portion of the crop.

Regional production is estimated at 52 mil bu (1.4 MMT), down 20% from 2018. Final production will likely be lower than current estimates, as roughly 20% of the crop remained unharvested as of mid-October. With only 77% of expected samples collected and analyzed, and a higher than normal percentage of the crop moving directly into feed channels, this report does not represent the entire crop.

Wheat and Grade Data: The surveyed crop averages a U.S. No. 2 Amber Durum (AD) and 37% grades a U.S. No. 1 or 2 Hard Amber Durum (HAD), down from 86% a year ago. Average test weight of 61.1 lbs/bu (79.6 kg/hl) is similar to 2018 and above the 5-year average. Total kernel defects average of 3% is higher than 2018 and the 5-year average, likely due to elevated disease pressures and damage from the prolonged harvest.

The average vitreous kernel (HVAC) content is 64%, down sharply from 90% in 2018 due to harvest rains and localized lower protein levels. The average protein of 13.9% (12% mb), is equal to the 5-year average, but down from 2018. Distribution data shows that nearly 25% of the crop is above 90% HVAC and 38% is above 75% HVAC.

Excellent conditions during kernel development are reflected in the crop average thousand kernel weight (TKW) of 44 g and the percent of large kernels notably higher than last year and 5-year averages. The average falling number value is 345 sec compared to 425 in 2018 with 75% of the crop above 300 sec. Disease pressures were higher in 2019, with some areas impacted by Fusarium. The crop average DON is 0.6 ppm, up from 0.2 last year, but slightly below the 5-year average.

Semolina and Processing Data: Milling for the 2019 survey was performed on a Quadromat® Junior mill, limiting direct comparisons to the Buhler laboratory mill used previously. Semolina extraction is 57.5%, down sharply from 2018, likely attributed to the notable decline in vitreous kernels and shift in milling equipment. The milled product is showing a marked decline in ash levels, 0.6%, with just a slight increase in speck counts compared to 2018. Gluten index values are higher, at 67%, compared to 57% in 2018.

Semolina and cooked spaghetti evaluations show lower values compared to last year and the 5-year average. Semolina color values are lower for both color and brightness, and cooked pasta scores are also lower. Mixing properties reveal a stronger crop with an average mixogram of 6.4 compared to 5.3 in 2018. Cooked pasta evaluations show higher cooked weight compared to the 5-year average, but also higher cooking loss and less cooked firmness.

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Challenging Weather Limits New Crop Spring Wheat Harvest; Good Quality Still Available

The 2019 U.S. hard red spring wheat (HRS) crop is one of contrasts with above average yields and high protein, but with key kernel parameters impacted by harvest rains. Due to the unusual harvest conditions and delay, the entire crop is not represented in this year’s data. Functional performance of the 2019 crop shows weaker dough properties and lower absorption but excellent baking properties. Premium quality will command higher prices, but good value can be obtained with diligent contract specifications. Ample carryover from the excellent quality 2018 crop will be helpful in meeting traditional quality needs of buyers.

That is a summary of the major regional results for HRS from the upcoming U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) 2019 Crop Quality Report. The HRS Wheat Quality Lab at North Dakota State University collected and analyzed 781 HRS samples collected from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Washington state. Funding for the annual survey come from USW member state wheat commissions and the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. Complete 2019 crop quality data for all six U.S. wheat classes will soon be available online and at annual USW Crop Quality Seminars.

Weather and Harvest: Planting begin in late April and was slow but ended in early June. Frequent and widespread rains developed across the region in mid-June, boosting yield potential but also elevating disease pressures. Harvest began slowly in mid-August with about 50% of the crop harvested by Sept. 1. By mid-September, record rains interrupted harvest and affected the quality of the remaining crop. About 10% of the crop will not be harvested. Regional production is estimated at 559 mil bu (15.2 MMT), up 8% percent from the 5-year average but down 5% from 2018 on reduced planted area.

Wheat and Grade Data: For the portion of the crop surveyed, the average grade is U.S. No. 1 Northern Spring (NS), down from No. 1 Dark Northern Spring (DNS) in 2018; 85% of Eastern Region samples and 87% of Western Region samples grade U.S. No. 1.  Average test weight of 60.7 lb/bu (79.8 kg/hl) is lower than 2018 and the 5-year average. Average damage is 1.0%, up notably from 2018 with higher damage levels in Eastern samples. Overly wet harvest conditions resulted in a very low vitreous kernel (DHV) average of 52% compared to the 5-year average of 74%. Average DHV is 61% for Western samples and 44% for Eastern.

Even with record yields and low DHV, the crop averages 14.4% (12% mb) protein, similar to 2018 and slightly above the 5-year average, which adds value to the crop. Western average protein is 14.4%, down marginally from 2018, while Eastern average protein held steady at 14.3%. One-half of all samples have greater than 14.5% protein in 2019 with just 18% below 13.5% protein.The heaviest pressure from Fusarium head blight occurred across southern parts of the region. The crop’s overall DON average is 0.6 ppm, up from 0.3 ppm in 2018. Average thousand kernel weight (TKW) is 31 g, similar to the 5-year average. Falling numbers (FN) across the entire region averaged 339 sec, down from 403 in 2018.

Flour, Dough and Baking Data: Buhler laboratory mill flour yield averages 68.4%, higher than 2018 and the 5-year average. Flour ash increased slightly to 0.54%, compared to 0.52% a year ago. Wet gluten averages 34%, slightly lower than 2018. Amylograph values average 406 BU for 65 g of flour, down sharply from 2018 and the 5-year average, with the lowest values in Eastern samples.

Farinograph indicates the crop has 1.3 percentage point lower absorption compared to 2018, but similar to the 5-year average, with Western area average at 63.6% and Eastern area at 62.1%.  The average farinograph stability is 10.1 min, lower than 2018 and the 5-year average. Dough strength is similar across the region with the Eastern crop declining more compared to the 2018 crop and with no correlating increase at higher protein levels; the Western area does show increased dough strength at higher protein levels.

Alveograph and extensograph analyses show more extensibility and less resistance. The average alveograph P/L ratio is 0.61 compared to 0.72 in 2018, and the W-value is 342 (10-4 J), down from 415 last year. The overall extensibility and resistance to extension of the 135 min extensograph are 15.6 cm and 639 BU, notably more extensible than 2018 crop values of 13.2 and 855.

The average loaf volume is 1026 cc, up notably from 973 in 2018; Western area averages 1004 cc and Eastern area averages 1046 cc. Average bake absorption is 67.6%, down from 2018 but higher than the 5-year average. Bread scores are similar to 2018 with the Western area scoring slightly higher than the Eastern area.

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Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Speaking of Wheat: “Wheat is something that touches lives across the world every day, from the Kansas farmer to the suburban mom to children in developing countries. For our family, wheat is ingrained in our heritage and is a proud cornerstone of our business, so we are honored to give back to the industry that has blessed us with so much.” – The Jack and Donna Vanier Family, commenting about their recent donation of $1 million to the Kansas Wheat Commission Research Foundation. Read more here.

Sourdough Growth Seminar. Wheat Marketing Center (WMC) has announced this seminar by Dr. Lin Carson on Dec. 11, 2019. Learn about the art and science of sourdough bread! This popular dough is simple yet complex to produce. This seminar covers the science of fermentation, key ingredients, and the possibilities for innovation with starters. Plus, learn about grains and whole grains in sourdough. Click here to learn more and register: https://www.wmcinc.org/event/sourdough/.

NAWG CEO Honored. National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) CEO Chandler Goule was recently named a recipient of the 2019 CropLife America (CLA) Annual Jay Vroom Agricultural Ambassador Award. The award honors a member or an allied organization to CLA who has made a major contribution to public education about pesticides and their contribution to a safe, affordable and sustainable food supply. Goule said “I really appreciate being nominated for the award and to CropLife for bringing awareness to the importance of educating the public on such complicated issues as pesticides.” Read more here.

NAWG Hires New Government Relations Representative. NAWG recently announced that Jake Westlin had joined its staff as Government Relations Representative. In this role, Westlin will support the policy team and provide key research on NAWG’s policy priorities. Read the full release here.

“60 Minutes” Report on U.S. Farm Challenges. The iconic U.S. CBS television news program interviewed Beth Ford, CEO of the U.S. farmer cooperative Land O’Lakes, about the changing landscape of U.S. farms and farming. It is an objective, important look at the challenges facing farmers today and the opportunities technology offers. Read more and watch the segment online here: https://cbsn.ws/2oZDH3E.

Photosynthesis Olympics. In a new study, scientists put elite wheat varieties through a sort of “Photosynthesis Olympics” to find which varieties have the best performing photosynthesis. This could ultimately help grain growers to get more yield for less inputs in the farm. “In this study we surveyed diverse high-performing wheat varieties to see if their differences in photosynthetic performance were due to their genetic makeup or to the different environments where they were grown,” said lead researcher Dr Viridiana Silva-Perez from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis (CoETP). 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.

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