Idaho Wheat Commission

News

Idaho wheat industry hosts young flour miller team

A trade team of flour millers from Morocco, Algeria, Egypt and Oman began their tour of the U.S. last week in Idaho. "These are young flour millers, a young generation (representing) their family businesses," said Tarik Gahi, assistant technical director for U.S. Wheat Associates in the Middle East and North Africa region, based in Casablanca, Morocco. "They are 22, 24, 25 years old, just out of the university and they are supposed to take the lead in the coming years." The tour will allow the millers to become familiar with U.S. wheat classes, marketing and the entire wheat system compared to wheat from other origins, Gahi said. The team visited the USDA-ARS lab in Pullman, Washington, the Lewis-Clark Terminal and Federal Grain Inspection Service lab in Lewiston, PNW Coop in Genesee, and IWC Commissioner Bill Flory's farm in Winchester.

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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.