IDAHO WHEAT COMMISSION

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Biden proposes to boost U.S. farm subsidies during war in Ukraine

As part of a $33 billion funding request related to the war in Ukraine, the Biden administration has asked Congress to approve $500 million in subsidies for U.S. farmers to encourage more domestic production of wheat, soybeans, rice and other commodities. According to USDA, the goal of the request is to prompt U.S. farmers to produce more of certain commodities — especially wheat — which are experiencing a global shortage due to the war.In a letter to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Biden wrote that his request “includes funding to support the production of United States food crops that are experiencing a global shortage due to the war in Ukraine.”  

The proposal has two major components, according to a fact sheet from the White House. First, $400 million would go toward increasing loan rates for two years for food crops including wheat, rice, soybeans and oil. Under the proposal, wheat loan rates would go up 63%, oilseed up 40%, and loans for rice and pulse crops up 21%.  Second, the plan would use about $100 million to pay a $10 per acre incentive for farmers to increase wheat production through double-cropping wheat and soybeans. This could be paid through crop insurance premiums.

April 9, 2024
U.S .Wheat Associates Sees Positive Outcome at WTO Ministerial Conference
To misquote Mark Twain, reports of the death of agricultural negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) are exaggerated. That is a key message for the world’s wheat growers and buyers following the Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. “Going into MC13 negotiations, we did not want to see any backsliding on past progress made on agricultural commitments at the WTO,” said U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Director of Trade Policy Peter Laudeman, who joined a coalition of U.S. agricultural representatives at the Conference. “Fortunately, the U.S. negotiating team and many other countries were able to hold firm, particularly against India’s protection of its trade-distorting wheat and rice policies.”
April 9, 2024
How does using SRC testing to improve wheat quality?
Because the quality and attributes of flour can vary by season and variety, it’s important for bakers to understand what works best in their products. One tool that can help them determine flour quality is Solvent Retention Capacity (SRC) testing, said Sean Finnie, director of the Western Wheat Quality Laboratory with the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service. He is part of a team that works to improve wheat quality by identifying desirable traits, testing for them and working with breeders to enhance those traits.
April 9, 2024
Analyzing Idaho crop input costs and 2024 projections
Understanding what operating costs will look like in 2024 is crucial for farm businesses. This article provides a background discussion on categories of operating costs of the greatest importance for crops grown in Idaho and an assessment of the 2024 operating cost projections from the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS). The first part provides insights regarding the input prices that can have the greatest influence on a farm business’ profitability.
April 9, 2024
Snowpack improves in much of Idaho
A wet February and early March have boosted snowpacks in much of southern Idaho, where some flood-control operations are planned in coming weeks. Snowpack in the state’s northern areas remains below 30-year medians partly because the dominant El Nino weather pattern pushes Pacific storms south. An anticipated shift to La Nina patterns, expected in late summer and early fall, will bring more rain and snow in northern areas.
April 9, 2024
What's Holding Back U.S. Hard White Wheat in World Markets
A wheat variety introduced just 34 years ago shows great promise for United States wheat producers to better compete in world markets, if some challenges can be overcome. Hard white wheat was created as a distinct wheat class in 1990. A very close genetic cousin of hard red winter wheat, its main difference is that it lacks the red coloring in its endosperm. That red color imparts a taste to flour made with hard red winter wheat that some consider more “wheaty” or even bitter. Hard white wheat flour can have slightly less protein than hard red winter wheat, although its protein content is still much higher than traditional refined white flour.