Wheat Industry News
Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.
Quote of the Week. “Going back to the days of President Carter’s grain embargo, we learned that trade, more especially agricultural trade, should not be used as a weapon. Rather it is a tool – a tool for peace, for national security through open markets, and for economic growth.” — Sen. Pat Roberts, addressing the Washington International Trade Association on July 19, 2018.
Congratulations. We are fortunate to have devoted, loyal colleagues at USW. This month Senior Advisor Jim Frahm is celebrating 40 years and Office Director and Marketing Specialist Valentina Shustova, based in the USW Moscow Office, is celebrating 25 years. Thank you Jim and Valentina for your service to our organization, to U.S. wheat farmers and to our customers around the world.
FGIS Advisory Committee. USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue has appointed 12 members to serve on the Federal Grain Inspection Service’s (FGIS) Grain Inspection Advisory Committee beginning July 1, 2018. Their recommendations ensure that FGIS services meet the needs of all stakeholders, he said. Read more.
Korea, Japan to Accept Canadian Wheat Again. Following the discovery of a small number of wheat plants with a regulated glyphosate resistance trait in Alberta, Korea and Japan have established testing programs and re-opened their markets to Canadian wheat imports, confirming that no wheat with transgenic events are in commercial supplies. Korea and Japan have also tested U.S. wheat for similar traits for several years with no detection.
USDA’S $12 Billion Farm Assistance Programs. The Trump administration on July 24 said it would provide up to $12 billion in aid for U.S. farmers from early September to shield them from the repercussions of trade disputes between the United States and China, the European Union and others. See a U.S. wheat organization statement on the program here. More details here.
SW Losses in Oregon Fire. A recent wildfire in north central Oregon destroyed as much as 1 million bushels (more than 27,200 metric tons) of soft white (SW) in the field — a devastating loss to many individual farmers, but unlikely to influence SW export supply or prices. One farmer said he watched the fire “torch a 900 acre wheat field in 12 minutes.” USDA expects increased SW production this year. Read more here.
“Quick” Harvest in Oklahoma. Dry conditions in Oklahoma limited yield potential buy helped keep HRW quality higher this year. National Association of Wheat Growers President Jimmy Musick talks about his harvest in a video here.
Grain Procurement Management for Importers. The Northern Crops Institute will host this eight-day course, Sep. 10 to 19, 2018, at its facilities in Fargo, N.D. The course will focus on the mechanics of grain merchandising and providing training for individuals responsible for purchasing grain. The registration deadline is Aug. 15, 2018. Learn more about the course here.
IAOM-KSU Basic and Advanced Milling Principles. The IGP Institute will host two short courses focused on milling principles in October at its conference center in Manhattan, Kan. The Basic Milling Principles short course, scheduled Oct. 8 to 12, 2018, will help participants develop a conceptual understanding of the milling process with a focus on mill balance, understanding critical control points in the milling system, and milling different wheat classes. The Advanced Milling Principles short course, scheduled Oct. 15 to 19, 2018 will educate participants on quantitative tools and practices to influence and impact, optimal machine adjustment, milling efficiency and flour quality in the mill. Learn more about the courses here.
Subscribe to USW Reports. USW publishes a variety of reports and content that are available to subscribe to, including a bi-weekly newsletter highlighting recent Wheat Letter blog posts, the weekly Price Report and the weekly Harvest Report (available May to October). Subscribe here.
Follow USW Online. Visit our page 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 www.youtube.com/uswheatassociates.
