NAWG Weekly Wheat Digest
NAWG in the News
East Oregonian (June 13, 2017) Field Day Highlights Research for Wheat Growers
Gusty winds made for a chilly Tuesday morning at the Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center north of Pendleton, where scientists with Oregon State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture hosted their annual field day for local wheat growers. The station, located on Tubbs Ranch Road, is home to both OSU and the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Field day provides an annual update of ongoing research projects to help farmers improve the quality of their crop and the bottom line of their business. Participants rode in buses from one wavy wheat field to the next, where project leaders discussed their latest findings on experiments to battle weeds, plant diseases and soil degradation. Representatives of the National Association of Wheat Growers were also on hand to gather feedback on priorities for the 2018 Farm Bill.
FeedNavigator.com (June 15, 2017) US Legislators Call for Improved Access to Cuban Markets
A bipartisan group of US legislators is calling for an expansion of trade engagement with Cuba and the lifting of a trade embargo, a move that has seen support from some US feed and grain groups.
Oregon Business (June 08, 2017) A Wheat Grower Who Wants Fewer Regs
Tuckness, president of the Oregon Wheat Growers League, did not vote for Trump or Hillary Clinton. For the first time in his life, he entered a write-in candidate. Nonetheless he thinks Trump might be good for agriculture. A fifth-generation Malheur County farmer, Tuckness grows wheat, corn, sugar beets, and dry bean seed on 400 acres in Ontario, Oregon. “It looks like he’s going to rein in regulatory agencies, the EPA in particular. They’ve been totally out of control out of the last few years,” said Tuckness, who is also on the board of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG).
The Progressive Farmer (June 16, 2017) Ag Policy Blog: Debating Crop Insurance and Commodity Programs
A panel of two farm organization advocates and two analysts of the farm program discussed crop insurance and commodity title provisions in the 2014 farm bill and prospects for the next bill on Tuesday at a Capitol Hill seminar entitled “U.S. Agricultural Risk Policy: Debating the Status Quo,” sponsored by the Charles Koch Institue…Joshua Tonsager, vice president of policy and communications for the National Association of Wheat Growers, noted that commodity prices are down compared with a few years ago and that farmers would be negatively affected by proposed cuts to farm programs.
Wheat in the News
The Kansas City Star (June 16, 2017) Cuban Trade and Kansas Wheat: What Will Trump Say?
Jay Armstrong stepped out of his pickup into a swishing wheat field Thursday to check if the grain was dry enough to harvest. He bit into a few kernels: “Yep, looks like I’ll be out here next week.” Now, if any of those kernels could find their way to the Cuban shore, Kansas wheat growers would finally begin to see last year’s bounty emptying out of storage — and probably at much higher prices than now, said Armstrong.
AgriMoney (June 16, 2017) Canadian Spring Wheat in Much Better Health than US Crop
Spring wheat crops in Canada have made a much better start than those in the US, to judge by initial ratings in the top growing province, which in fact showed canola, chickpeas and durum suffering worse from weather hiccups. Saskatchewan farm officials, in their first crop ratings of 2017, pegged the province’s spring wheat crop at 75% in “good” or “excellent” condition, with only 3% seen as “poor”, and none as “very poor”. The figure is notably lower than the 92% of Saskatchewan spring wheat rated good or excellent as of a year.
Press TV (June 12, 2017) Iran Exports First Wheat Cargo in Years
Iran says it has exported its first consignment of wheat after a hiatus of multiple years – what is seen as a robust sign that shows the country has not only been able to support domestic needs but also move ahead with overseas sales. The consignment of 35,000 tons of wheat was sent to Oman from Iran’s Bandar Imam Khomeini in Khouzestan province. It was taken to the Persian Gulf sultanate by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), the country’s IRNA news agency reported.
Wheat Industry News
KTIC (June 15, 2017) Day 4, Kansas Wheat Harvest Report
This is day 4 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. Mother Nature decided to hit pause on the Kansas wheat harvest with brief showers across the state. Fortunately for many western and central Kansas farmers, combines only came to a stop for a brief interlude as the hot sun quickly dried fields off. Humidity has kept some harvest crews out of the fields in the eastern portion of the state, but they are expecting to roll on Thursday.
The Spokesman-Review (May 30, 2017) Wheat Farmers Oppose Trump Farm Budget Proposal
Michelle Hennings, executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers based in Ritzville, said those cuts would be especially painful for many farmers on the Palouse, who have struggled to turn a profit amid a global wheat surplus. Washington exports more than 80 percent of the wheat it produces, while the country as a whole exports about 50 percent. Hennings said many Washington growers need about $6 per bushel to break even, yet prices have been hovering below $5 for months.
Source: National Association of Wheat Growers