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 96^th 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.

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Speaking of Wheat: “Adios South America! We hosted 5 seminars in 5 different cities and in 3 different countries. We made contact with about 100 buyers, technical staff, or managers of mills to tell them the story of the 2019 [U.S. wheat] crop. I couldn’t ask for a better team to travel with and get to know a little better.” – Jason Scott, Maryland Wheat Farmers and USW Past Chairman, commenting on his participation in 2019 USW Crop Quality Seminars in Brazil, Colombia and Peru.

U.S. Wheat Exports Up for the Week. USDA reported export sales of U.S. wheat for the week ending Oct. 24 at 493,700 metric tons (MT), toward the high end of trade expectations for 200,000 to 500,000 MT. USDA note total known outstanding sales and accumulated exports of all U.S. wheat classes for the 2019/20 marketing year to date were 14.6 million metric tons (MMT), 11 percent greater than last year’s year-to-date total of 13.1 MMT. See USW’s Commercial Sales Report online here.

Another Decline in U.S. Wheat Planted Area? “Dogged by lower prices and tepid demand, U.S. wheat farmers are poised to plant the fewest acres of winter varieties in 110 years,” reported Bloomberg in a story about a survey of farmers. The business news service sites abundant global supplies, farm gate winter wheat prices that are less than corn (maize) prices in some areas and late soybean harvest interrupting some double crop opportunities.

November is National Bread Month. November is a great time for pumpkin spice and everything nice, but it’s also the perfect time to celebrate National Bread Month. Both whole grain flour and enriched flour are important to maintaining a healthy diet. The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend that at least half of the five to eight servings of grains consumed daily should come from whole grain sources. Read more from the Kansas Wheat Commission here.

Registration for 2020 Agricultural Outlook Forum. This week USDA has opened registration for the 96^th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF), its largest event of the year on Feb. 20 to 21, 2020, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va. “The Innovation Imperative: Shaping the Future of Agriculture” sessions will focus on innovations in agriculture, global trade trends, food loss and waste, frontiers in conservation, and the science of food safety. More information will be released in November. USW is a cooperator with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

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.

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.

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Speaking of Wheat: “The U.S. farmer is still holding about half a [hard red] spring wheat crop from last year that will provide some decent quality supplies. Canada, on the other hand, was an aggressive exporter of wheat last year; a poor quality crop will reduce their exportable supplies in this marketing year.” – Michael Krueger, Independent Market Analyst.

Columbia River Reopens to Barge Traffic. A critical navigation lock on the lower Columbia River reopened Sept. 27, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That means barges full of grain and other materials waiting to get from Inland Northwest ports to Vancouver and Portland and out to export markets can resume. Boat traffic on the international trade route has been stopped since September 5 to repair a lock at Bonneville Dam. Crews with the Army Corps’ Portland division have been working around-the-clock the past three weeks to open the channel. Read more here.

New Partner in New Grain Trade Initiative. Glencore Agriculture Ltd. is joining several other major grain traders in the industry’s initiative to modernize global agricultural commodity trade operations. The initiative is looking at such new technologies as blockchain and artificial intelligence to automate grain and oilseed post-trade execution processes, reducing costs needed to move agricultural and food products around the globe. The group is projecting launch of a new platform in the second half of 2020 subject to regulatory approval. Read more from a joint news release here.

More Women Are Running U.S. Farms. According to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture, over the last five years, the number of female farmers in the United States has increased, while the number of male farmers declined. Women now represent 36% of farmers, a 27% increase from 2012. Now, 56% of farms have at least one female producer, although only 38% have a female primary producer, the person who makes the most decisions on the farm. USW looks forward to sharing the story of several women engaged in wheat production in 2020. Currently, two female farm owners serve as directors of USW: Rhonda K. Larson grows HRS wheat in northwestern Minnesota and was elected as USW Secretary-Treasurer for 2019/20; Denise Conover grows HRS and HRW wheat in south central Montana. Past Chairperson Janice Mattson of Chester, Mont., served as USW director and an officer, holding the chair in 2009/10.

Oregon Wheat Seeking New Chief Executive Officer. The Oregon Wheat Commission and Oregon Wheat Growers League are seeking a dynamic and proven Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to provide leadership, vision, focus, and unity to their organizations, following the announcement that Blake Rowe plans to retire from the position. The CEO will serve as the principal administrator of both the OWC and OWGL, operating under the direction of the OWC and the Board of Directors of the OWGL, respectively. The full job announcement and position description can be found at www.owgl.org/careers. Applications must be submitted by 4:00 PM on Oct. 20, 2019.

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.

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “There’s a real purpose in this job … there’s a calling when you’re working for an entire industry … I’ve made a lot of relationships and worked for some great companies in the ag space, but the opportunity to represent the U.S. farmer in foreign markets is really something that appeals to me.” – Ryan LeGrand, President and CEO, U.S. Grains Council quoted in an article in “Feed Navigator.com”.

Genetic Diversity Crucial to Wheat Supply. To safeguard food supplies and ensure durable disease resistance in wheat, scientists must embrace a globally integrated strategy that deploys resistance genes in a coordinated way, according to Maricelis Acevedo, associate director of science for the Delivering Genetic Gain in Wheat (DGGW) project in International Programs in Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Read more in this article from the “Cornell Chronicle.”

Brazil Wheat TRQ to Open? Reuters reported Sept. 3 that the president of the Brazil’s wheat industry group Abitrigo said at a press conference that Brazil is expected to introduce a tariff-free wheat import quota of 750,000 metric tons per year starting from 2020. The report said Brazil announced the opening of the TRQ earlier this year in connection with President Jair Bolsonaro’s visit to the United States, with U.S. wheat producers seen as potential beneficiaries, although the policy has yet to be instituted. Read the story here: https://reut.rs/2ks5BU3.

Trade War Impacts. The folks who work at USW are big fans of Michelle Erickson-Jones of Montana or, as she is known on Twitter, @bigskyfarmher. In a recent article by Helen Santoro in “High Country News,” Michelle talks about the additional strain from trade issues on Montana farmers already hit hard by low crop prices. From the article: It may still be a while before producers like Erickson-Johnson turn a profit. “I would like to keep operating,” she said, but the trade war “definitely puts a little bit of a dimmer on the future of agriculture.” Read the entire article online at https://bit.ly/2jVlpyi.

Register for the 2019 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium. The 2019 Symposium theme, “Pax Agricultura: Peace Through Agriculture,” will serve as an opportunity to take stock of the current state of global agriculture and food security. Learn more and register 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.

Recent news and highlights from around the wheat industry.

Quote of the Week: “Trade policy throughout the past several decades has opened up new markets for agricultural exports, increased access in existing markets, and lowered or eliminated various tariffs and technical barriers to trade. Opportunities for improvement still abound; however, the benefits far outweigh the drawback for the agricultural community.” – Michelle Erickson-Jones, Wheat Farmer and Past-President of the Montana Grain Growers Association. Click here to read more.

Weekly Commercial Sales are Up. USDA reported net U.S. wheat export sales of 487,700 metric tons for the week to August 1. That is 27% higher than the preceding week and 17% above the prior four-week average. U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) publishes a Commercial Sales report every Thursday with more details.

USDA Should Consider Export Customer Concerns. This week, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) submitted comments to the U.S Department of Agriculture on proposed rule changes to regulations on plant biotechnology. In a statement about its comments, NAWG said: “… its highest priority concern is that any rule change contemplated by the USDA APHIS needs to consider its impact on importing countries of U.S. produced grain. NAWG encourages USDA APHIS to develop and execute an international engagement strategy that defines USDA’s rationale on pre-market regulatory approaches. All foreign customers expect the continued oversight by USDA to ensure consistent food safety, which is fundamental to their confidence in purchases of U.S. wheat.” Click here to read the entire statement.

No Vote on USMCA “Disappointing.” In a news release, the Washington Grain Commission (WGC) and the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) said the failure of the U.S. Congress to approve the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on Trade (USMCA) prior to its August recess “jeopardizes trade with two of America’s most reliable customers as it threatens wheat shipments to our most important market.” They urged Congress to schedule an expedited vote on the important trade agreement. Although the Pacific Northwest exports little grain to Mexico, wheat is traded on the world market and undermining exports to Mexico “will depress prices further for all wheat farmers” the organizations stated.

IAOM-KSU Basic and Advanced Milling Principles. Through hands-on training in the Kansas State University milling facilities and classroom discussions at the IGP Institute, these two courses will further develop participants basic and advanced milling skills and understanding of the milling process. The IAOM-KSU Basic Milling Course will be held Oct. 7 to 11, 2019. Click here for more information about these courses and the IGP Institute.

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.