July 25, 2019
USW Continues Gathering Harvest and Farm Family Stories in Ohio
Originally published July 16, 2019
As the 2019 U.S. wheat harvest rolls on in other parts of the country, it started only recently for soft red winter (SRW) wheat harvest in Ohio, the next stop for U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) to capture the images and words of another farm family. Our organization is producing a video that focuses on the people who contribute to the wholesome quality of U.S. wheat for dozens of different food products around the world. We began in Kansas and the project to be completed in 2020 will take us around the United States. Read the full article here.
USW’s Experience in Many Countries Helps Introduce New Wheat Foods
Originally published July 18, 2019
U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) with the support of several export market development programs administered by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), has built a team of very effective end-product technical experts in Korea and Taiwan. These are very sophisticated markets with many different wheat foods. Now, USW is sharing that product and technical knowledge to help customers in the Republic of the Philippines introduce new products in a market that is hungry for innovation.
U.S Wheat Industry Supports International Food Assistance Programs
Originally published July 19, 2019
By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Assistant Director of Policy
Conflict and population displacement are both on the rise around the world. From war in Yemen to natural disasters in Southern and Eastern Africa, when these events happen, the people most at risk are also the most vulnerable to malnutrition—women and children. While there are no easy answers to these problems, the U.S. government and U.S. wheat farmers are doing their parts to help. Read the full article here.
First Bulk Grain Vessel Docked in Myanmar Carries U.S. Wheat
Originally published July 23, 2019
Many years of work conducting trade service and technical support in South Asian countries like Myanmar (Burma) showed U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) there was a growing opportunity to compete with nearby Australian wheat supplies. Knowing two deep-water ports were opening in Myanmar in 2019, USW intensified its activities. In mid-May 2019, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service representatives were on hand to welcome the first bulk grain vessel to dock at one of the ports loaded with 22,000 metric tons (MT) of high-quality U.S. hard red spring (HRS) wheat purchased by a local flour mill. Read the full article here.
Fair Weather and Adequate Soil Moisture on HRS Tour Predict Good Yield Potential
Originally published July 25, 2019
By Claire Hutchins, USW Market Analyst
This week, my colleague, Michael Anderson, and I joined four U.S. wheat customers from Mexico and Chile for the annual Wheat Quality Council (WQC) Spring Wheat Tour, an early survey of the 2019/20 hard red spring (HRS) crop in North Dakota and surrounding states. Today the tour estimated a final average yield potential of 43.1 bushels per acre (bu/ac) or about 1.17 metric tons (MT) per hectare for the 2019/20 North Dakota HRS crop. That is 5% higher than last year’s average of 41.1 bu/ac (1.12 MT/hectare). This year, tour participants made 371 stops to scout fields compared to 325 in 2018. Read the full article here.
“We are concerned that Chinese customers are learning to make do without us. We are hoping that business will bounce back if we return to normal tariff treatment and can again go toe to toe with other imported origins.” — Jeff Coey, Regional Vice President, Hong Kong and China, U.S. Wheat Associates, from an article in Agri-Pulse about the on-going effects of the U.S.-China trade dispute.
Spring Wheat Buying. Reuters reported that Asian flour millers have been actively buying U.S. and Canadian spring wheat since last week as competitive prices drive demand for the grain used largely in making breads and pizza crusts. Millers from the region’s top importer Indonesia, and other countries such as Japan, the Philippines and Thailand, have signed contracts to import about 300,000 to 400,000 [metric tons] since last week, two Singapore-based trade sources said. Read more here.
A Complicated Web of Ideas. Conservationist in the Pacific Northwest have long advocated for opening federally owned dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers to benefit salmon and other wildlife. Yet the lock and dam systems are essential for the highly efficient barge transportation system that benefits wheat farmers and their overseas customers. Boise (Idaho) Weekly examines this challenge in an article posted online here.
U.S. Grocery Shopping Trends. Farmers and overseas food processors may be interested in Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) 45th edition of U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends, an annual look at grocery shopper attitudes and behavior. The 2019 report, prepared by The Hartman Group, Inc., studies what consumers want from their retailers when personalizing their grocery shopping. “One third of households have at least one family member following a non-medically prescribed diet, and this rate is higher for younger generations,” said the CEO of FMI. “In an effort to meet their idea of eating well, households are eating in increasingly personalized ways, challenging the food shopping experience.”
IAOM-KSU Flour and Dough Analysis. The IAOM-KSU Flour and Dough Analysis short course will be held at the IGP Institute in Manhattan, Kan., Sept. 10 to 12, 2019. The course will focus on flour and dough analysis practices and methods and correct interpretation and understanding of the results. Click here to learn more and register.
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 to learn more about this course and register. The IAOM-KSU Advanced Milling Course will be held Oct. 14 to 18, 2019. Click here to learn more about this course and register.
Source: U.S. Wheat Associates