Spring Wheat Prices Diverge From Minneapolis, Chicago
Successful Farming – 09/30/2019
Wheat markets, last week, saw significant divergence of price action between the three markets.
Spring wheat surged higher by 23 cents while Kansas City was unchanged, and Chicago was 3 cents higher. Of course, the issue with spring wheat is the ongoing delay to finish the harvest. By now, most of what remains in the field would be feed quality as persistent rains and cool temps encourage sprout. And now some producers must contend with snow. It’s been a brutal finish to the spring wheat harvest. The quality and production losses have supported Minneapolis, but the other markets have been reluctant to follow. Big crops across the Northern Hemisphere are keeping prices in check. Indeed, Russia increased their spring wheat production estimates by a couple million tons as yields are better than expected. This follows a high protein winter wheat crop in their Southern region. The decline in North America’s milling grade production is likely to open doors for Russian sales.
Former Agriculture Secretaries Stress USMCA Passage
High Plains Journal – 09/30/2019
Three former secretaries of agriculture and the current secretary met Sept. 19 to stress the importance of getting the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement passed. All the former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture since the Reagan administration announced their support of USMCA in a letter. Those included were former secretaries John Block (Reagan), Mike Espy (Clinton), Dan Glickman (Clinton), Ann Veneman (W. Bush), Mike Johanns (W. Bush), Ed Shafer (W. Bush), and Tom Vilsack (Obama). Part of the letter said, “We need a strong and reliable trade deal with our top two customers for U.S. agriculture products. USMCA will provide certainty in the North American market for the U.S. farm sector and rural economy. We strongly support ratification of USMCA.”
USDA Estimates 2019 U.S. Wheat Crop at 1.962 Billion Bushels
World-Grain – 10/01/2019
he National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its Small Grains Summary 2019 issued Sept. 30 estimated wheat production in the United States this year at 1,961,734,000 bushels, down 18.475 million bushels from the August forecast but up 76.578 million bushels, or 4%, from 1,885,156,000 bushels in 2018. The 2019 crop was the largest since 2.309 billion bushels in 2016 and compared with 2.005 billion bushels as the recent five-year average.
The all-wheat harvested area in 2019 was estimated at 38.052 million acres, down 1.56 million acres, or 4%, from 39.612 million acres in 2018. The average wheat yield in 2019 was estimated at 51.6 bushels per acre compared with 47.6 bushels per acre in 2018. It was the second highest average yield on record falling short only to 52.7 bushels per acre in 2016.
United Grain Regains Strade After Bonneville Lock Closure
The Columbian – 10/01/2019
As soon as the Bonneville Lock closed for emergency repairs more than three weeks ago, workers at United Grain knew that barge traffic would come to an abrupt stop. Six barges hauling about 65,000 metric tons of wheat each wouldn’t arrive as scheduled. Empty ships would have to wait at the Port of Vancouver. Customers in foreign countries who needed their grain would face delays.
Looking back, John Lindgren, United Grain terminal director, said the impact wasn’t catastrophic, but it caused workers to scramble to reroute grain while the stock decreased. “The lock closure didn’t affect too much,” he said. “But we were on fumes.” Since the lock reopened on Friday evening, four of United Grain’s six barges had passed through the lock and unloaded at the Port of Vancouver, according to Lindgren. United Grain should have caught up on its backlog of work by mid-October.
From Field to Fork: Celebrating Pasta Month
North Dakota Wheat Commission – 10/01/2019
For nearly three decades the North Dakota Wheat Commission has celebrated National Pasta Month in October as a way to recognize the state’s dedicated durum producers and the associated durum milling and pasta manufacturing industries. To help celebrate Pasta Month and educate consumers on the importance of durum and pasta production, the Commission will be partnering with statewide media to provide durum and pasta facts and trivia. Participating newspapers and radio stations will provide opportunities for readers and listeners to win a pasta prize package. This year’s theme – From Field to Fork – focuses on the process of bringing the durum from the field to the pasta on consumer’s plates.
Source: U.S. Wheat Associates