Wheat Industry News

Recent news and highlights from around the U.S. wheat industry.

Speaking of Wheat

“The key going forward is how the market allocates remaining very tight [durum] stocks in Canada, the U.S. and … Europe. The next…harvest will take place in June. Obviously, that takes a while to get in market position after harvest, so we could have a couple pretty tight months…depending on what happens with demand.” — Jim Peterson, Policy and Marketing Director, North Dakota Wheat Commission, in a webinar on U.S. and world durum supply and demand sponsored by Northern Crops Institute.

The Passing of Fred Schneiter

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) recently learned that retired colleague Fred Schneiter passed away on Jan. 31, 2022, at 94. Fred started working with Western Wheat Associates in the early 1960s representing U.S. wheat farmers in the Philippines and Taiwan. After USW was formed in 1980, Fred accepted a position in Hong Kong and helped build strong demand for U.S. wheat in the Peoples Republic of China until his retirement in 1991. USW will share more about Fred and his career in an upcoming Wheat Letter post.

Learning More About Wheat

Scott Huso and his wife Elizabeth manage Ridgeline Farm near Aneta, N.D. As a country representative on the North Dakota Wheat Commission, Huso recently participated in the IGP Institute Flour Milling Short Course on the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan, Kan. USW Assistant Director, West Coast Office, Tyllor Ledford also participated in the course. In a Ridgeline Farm blog post, Huso said the course made him aware that the milling process is much more intricate than he imagined and an appreciation for the wheat quality demanded by domestic and overseas millers.

Adapting Wheat to Climate Variability

The University of California, Davis, will lead a five-year, $15 million research project to accelerate public wheat breeding to meet new climate realities and train a new generation of plant breeders. The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant will create a coordinated consortium of 41 wheat breeders and researchers from 22 institutions in 20 states. Researchers from Mexico and the United Kingdom are also participating. Read more here.

U.S. Agricultural Export Value

USDA recently announced the U.S. agricultural industry posted its highest annual export levels ever recorded in calendar 2021. The final 2021 trade data published by the Department of Commerce showed U.S. farm and food product exports totaled $177 billion, topping the 2020 total by 18% and eclipsing the previous record, set in 2014, by 14.6%. Read the full news release here.

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