Idaho Wheat Commission

News

Bread and noodle supplies face new threat from Australian floods

Flooding in eastern Australia is hurting the quality of the wheat harvest in one of the world’s biggest exporters, worsening a global shortage of the high-grade variety used to make bread and ramen noodles. That’s going to put a damper on the international wheat market which was counting on a bumper harvest from Australia to ease tight inventories and cool food costs. While the crop is still likely to be a large one, torrential downpours and floods could turn an unusually hefty chunk of the harvest into grain fit only for animal feed, and reduce the quantity that’s suitable for milling into flour.

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June 3, 2026

Idaho’s U.S. Senator Frank Church Wrote BPA’s Rulebook. It Demands Reliable Power, Too.

An opinion editorial written by Will Hart, executive director of the Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association, and Kurt Miller, executive director of the Northwest Public Power Association.

April 7, 2026

Changing diets and demographics creating new opportunities for U.S. wheat

Rising incomes, growing populations, and rapid industrialization is creating increased demand for wheat foods around the world.

April 7, 2026

Idaho ag economic impact hits records

The economic impact of agriculture in Idaho reached $44.5 billion in sales, 17.2% of the state’s total economic output.

April 7, 2026

What is the Most Important Asset on the Farm?

How much time do you spend making sure your equipment is properly maintained? From combines and drills to pickups and silos, the farm has spent a lot of money and you probably have a “correct” way to take care of the tools you’ve invested in. But what is the most important asset on the farm? Quick answer: you and the people around you. Do you allocate as much time and attention on those assets? Probably not.

April 7, 2026

ALERT: Warm Weather Threatens Wheat with Yield Loss

The warm winter weather throughout the state has experts concerned about increased fungal diseases creeping into fields and causing yield loss. Xianming Chen, USDA stripe rust expert in the PNW, is warning farmers to start checking their fields. Chen is predicting that stripe rust will be more widespread and extreme this year than in the past 15 years. The last particularly bad year for stripe rust was in 2011. Experts from the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative are also warning about fusarium head blight and vomitoxin (DON) in winter wheat. USWBSI is reminding farmers that the best time to apply fungicides for FHB and DON management is at Feekes growth stage 10.51, when 50% of the main tillers have reached early anthesis (flowering) and up to seven (7) days following.