Wheat Industry News
Recent news and highlights from around the U.S. wheat industry.
Speaking of Wheat
“Early wheat leaders … fought through the battle of the “Great Grain Robbery” by the Soviet Union and advocated for more transparency and information from USDA to help farmers and their overseas customers that helped lead to weekly commercial sales reports.” – From “A Legacy of Commitment – Great Plains Wheat Focused on Improving Quality and HRW Markets.” U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Wheat Letter, March 19, 2020.
Commercial Sales Report Delayed until Sept. 15
On Aug. 31, USDA/FAS Administrator Daniel Whitley announced the following statement: “As a result of unanticipated difficulties with the launch of the new Export Sales Reporting and Maintenance System, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service will temporarily revert to the legacy system while we work to fully resolve the issues with the new system. FAS will be unable to publish weekly export sales data on Thursday, Sept. 1 or Thursday, Sept. 8, but we expect to resume regular reporting on Thursday, Sept. 15.” Read more here.
Happy Work Anniversary!
Steve Wirsching, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Vice President and Director of the West Coast Office in Portland, Ore., marked 30 years with the organization Aug. 31, 2022. He joined USW in 1992 as Assistant Director, West Coast Office, and in 1997 became Assistant Regional Director for the South American region in Santiago, Chile. In 1998, Wirsching moved to Mexico City, as Assistant Regional Director. He was named Director of the West Coast Office in 2008, where he was promoted to Vice President in 2011. Thank you for your service, Steve!
Colorful New Tool for Flour Analysis
The Idaho Wheat Commission and the University of Idaho together purchased a near infrared spectrometer for the school’s Wheat Quality Laboratory at U of I’s Aberdeen Research and Extension Center. School officials said the modern device will help the lab better measure quality indicators of flour samples, such as protein and moisture content. The technology uses infrared light to analyze the composition of materials, differentiating the unique infrared colors associated with specific components. Read more here.
NGFA: Keep Snake River Dams in Place
The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) representing U.S. grain handlers issued a statement following the release of a report commissioned by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray that recommends replacing the benefits of the Lower Snake River Dams (LSRD) before breaching them to save endangered salmon runs. Joining U.S. wheat industry stakeholders, NGFA maintains that any action to breach the dams is not a viable option. NGFA said “the benefits of barge transportation to the agricultural value chain and the overall U.S. supply chain cannot be replaced by rail or truck transportation.” Read more here.
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