Idaho Wheat Commission

News

U.S. flour production up 4% to new record

Flour production in the second quarter of 2022 totaled a record 107.407 million cwts, up 4.087 million, or 4%, from 103.32 million a year ago, according to data issued Aug. 1 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the US Department of Agriculture.

Second-quarter 2022 production was up 5.2% from 102.25 million cwts in the second quarter of 2020. Production in the first quarter of 2022 was 106.471 million cwts. In the first six months of 2022, flour output aggregated a record 213.878 million cwts, up 3.3% from 206.955 million in January-June 2021. The previous high was 210.916 million cwts in January-June 2018.

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.