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Welcome to the Idaho Wheat Commission

Idaho is one of the few places in the world where buyers can find several different classes of wheat in one place.  Wheat class is determined by kernel hardness and color, and by its planting time.  Each class of wheat has its own characteristics related to milling, baking and agronomic needs.

Soft White Wheat (winter and spring): pastries, pancakes, cakes, cookies, crackers, flat breads, snack foods and cereals.
Hard Red Wheat (winter and spring): yeast breads, hard rolls and bagels, Asian noodles, flat breads.
Hard White Wheat (winter and spring): blended flours, Asian noodles, steam breads, domestic foods made with whole wheat.
Durum: pasta

Idaho wheat production is usually about 100 million bushels/year.  Wheat production plays an important role in Idaho’s economy.  Wheat production creates jobs and income, not only in the production process, but also in transportation, storage, milling and input supply industries.  The value of wheat production is close to $500 million and  contributes over 8,500 jobs.

U.S. Government Confirms No GM Wheat in Commercial Supplies; As Investigation Continues, USW Sharing Facts and Supporting Customers
By Steve Mercer, USW Vice President of Communications

It has been a challenging two weeks for many wheat farmers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and across the country. No doubt the loyal U.S. wheat buyers those farmers value so much have also faced challenges since the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced  May 29 it had identified an unapproved genetically modified, glyphosate-resistant trait in volunteer wheat on a single Oregon field. That trait is a “Roundup Ready” gene that Monsanto tested in wheat, with federal approval, between 1998 and 2005, but did not commercialize.

USW and the farmers we represent take this situation very seriously. We were pleased today to receive public confirmation from APHIS that it has found no genetically modified traits in wheat seed or commercial supplies in recent tests it has conducted. However, nothing is more important than the trust we have earned from our customers by providing a reliable supply of high-quality wheat for a wide range of products. USW, the U.S. government and grain handlers are making sure buyers, government agencies and end users have the most accurate information as quickly as it becomes available from the ongoing APHIS investigation. We are all working with our customers to help them make informed decisions about policies and wheat purchases.

Unfortunately, we are concerned about what we consider inaccurate or misleading information that is appearing in some news stories and from other sources. Transparency has always been a respected part of the service USW provides; it is in that spirit that we address the facts here as we know them.

This discovery is isolated. There is no evidence that wheat with this trait has entered commercial channels.

In April, an unnamed farmer applied the herbicide glyphosate on a field in eastern Oregon that had been left unplanted (or fallow) since the summer of 2012, a common practice in the arid inter-mountain Pacific Northwest. That field had some wheat plants growing in it that he considered “volunteers” (plants that were not purposely seeded, nor would be harvested). The farmer said he found randomly a handful of wheat plants the herbicide did not control. This is unusual, so he sent samples of those plants to an Oregon State University weed scientist who then conducted tests on the samples. Those tests indicated that the wheat plants contained a glyphosate resistant trait. APHIS was informed and immediately began the formal investigation that is still underway.

APHIS stated specifically in its initial announcement that no information exists indicating that this regulated trait has entered the commercial supply chain and has not changed its public position that this is an isolated situation. USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) continues to issue a letter stating that “no transgenic wheat varieties are available for sale or in commercial production in the United States at this time.”

Tuesday, May 07, 2013
April's Cold Temperatures Delay Mountain Snowmelt
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Idaho Crop Residue Burning Program

The crop residue burning (CRB) program is designed to enable growers to burn under certain conditions while protecting public health from smoke impacts. The program is managed by DEQ on lands other than the five Indian Reservations in Idaho.
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality works to ensure clean air, water, and land in the state and protect Idaho citizens from the adverse health impacts of pollution.  Growers must have completed DEQ training in proper burning techniques and good smoke management within the past five years.
Please visit the following website and click on “Online Training”
http://www.deq.idaho.gov/air-quality/burning/crop-residue-burning.aspx