Wheat Industry News
Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.
Speaking of Wheat: “They say Charlie has crossed the Pacific Ocean about 100 times during his work with U.S. Wheat [Associates]. It is an honor to recognize his dedication and success in helping to make wheat Oregon’s single largest agricultural export to Japan. We wish him well in retirement.” – Alexis Taylor, Director, Oregon Department of Agriculture, at a “Friends of Oregon” reception in Tokyo, Japan, where the state honored our retired colleague and former USW Country Director Wataru “Charlie” Utsunomiya. Read the full release here.
Thankful for All of You! In October 1863, President Abraham Lincoln established a national “Day of Thanksgiving” in the United States with a proclamation, writing in part: “It has seemed to me fit and proper that [these gracious gifts] should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice … I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens … and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving…” We see the people we work with and our customers around the world as one of our “gracious gifts.”
Japan Advances Trade Deal. The lower house of Japan’s parliament on Nov. 19, approved the U.S. trade deal that would slash tariffs and set up new quotas for U.S. farm goods, according to reports out of Tokyo. Passage by the lower house sends the pact for consideration by the upper house of Japan’s Diet and U.S. officials are hopeful that a quick, full ratification will allow the trade deal to go into effect within several weeks…Wheat growers and exporters are also pleased. “This agreement puts U.S. wheat back on equal footing with wheat from Canada and Australia that currently have a tariff advantage under a separate trade deal,” said USW Chairman Doug Goyings, when the agreement was first announced.
2019 National Wheat Yield Contest Winners. Earlier this month, the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) announced the national winners for the 2019 National Wheat Yield Contest. Last week, NWF announced the state winners for the 2019 Contest which includes 115 growers from 24 states. The Foundation’s National Wheat Yield Contest offers growers the opportunity to compete with farmers from across the United States and improve their production practices through new and innovative techniques. Read the full release here.
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.
Registration for 2020 Agricultural Outlook Forum. USDA has opened registration for the 96th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF) on Feb. 20 to 21, 2020, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va. “The Innovation Imperative: Shaping the Future of Agriculture” will focus on innovations in agriculture, global trade trends, food loss and waste, frontiers in conservation, and the science of food safety. USW is a cooperator with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.
IGP Courses for 2019 Announced. World Grain magazine reported recently that Kansas State University’s IGP Institute is continuing to work to address challenges in the field of agriculture by offering educational opportunities to industry professionals, with plans to host 24 on-site courses in 2020 that are open to the public. The article said “IGP Institute education focuses on feed manufacturing and grain quality management; grain processing and flour milling; and grain marketing and risk management courses.” 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.
