Over the last two decades, U.S. wheat exports and global market share have declined due to increased competition from nations such as Russia. Considering about 50% of Idaho’s wheat is exported, preserving and protecting export markets is of great interest here at home. Most of Idaho’s wheat exports are shipped through the Pacific Northwest to customers located in Asia. Cross contamination with buckwheat poses a serious threat to these markets.
Cultivated or domesticated buckwheat is a deadly allergen in Asian countries. It is often compared to peanut allergies, where there are different levels of reaction, ranging from mild rashes to extreme anaphylaxis. The measures the United States have taken to provide allergen safety in labeling, such as zero tolerance for unlabeled allergen exposure, are the same efforts taken in exporting food ingredients. Asian customers are extremely vigilant in preventing contamination and could reject cargos with any traces of buckwheat.
As you prepare for spring planting, please keep in mind the following guidance the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has provided regarding cover crops for this very reason:
If a delivery to an export elevator is exposed to buckwheat there is zero tolerance and elevators may extend their rejection to future deliveries from the producer. Do not expose your farm to buckwheat in any form if you plan on growing wheat or small grains.
To protect and foster the health and prosperity of the Idaho wheat industry, tell your neighbors and friends about the dangers of buckwheat in a small grains rotation, and help grow Idaho’s export markets so we may continue to safely feed the world.
