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.