There remains a number of reasons for concern when it comes to North American wheat, with dry conditions affecting the Southwestern Plains of the United States, a slow start to spring fieldwork in the northern states, dry conditions on the Prairies and tight stocks. The USDA's March 31 Grain Stocks reports shows U.S. stocks of wheat as of March 1 at the lowest level seen in 15 years. At the same time, AAFC's current forecast for Canada's July 31, 2023, show all-wheat stocks of 4.4 million metric tons (mmt) up from the previous year.

Ukraine may export a further 15.6 million tonnes of grain in the April to June quarter, which would unexpectedly lift this season's exports to nearly 53 million tonnes, the AgroPortal agency quoted the first deputy farm minister as saying on Thursday. Ukraine's 2022 grain harvest fell sharply to around 53 million tonnes due to Russia's invasion of the country, from a record 86 million tonnes in 2021. Millions of tonnes of grain from last year's harvest remained in Ukraine's silos after its major Black Sea ports were closed in the second half of the 2021/22 season.

China wheat imports are forecast up to 12.0 million tons this year—the country’s highest level of imports since 1995/96 when imports reached 12.5 million. Domestic grain prices in China have remained high given the country’s minimum support price policy and reduced auction activity amidst uncertainty surrounding the government’s COVID-19 policies. Chinese wheat prices have lingered around $450/ton over the past year while Chinese corn prices have averaged above $400/ton. Meanwhile, international wheat prices have trended lower over the past few months, falling below $400/ton with ample exportable supplies from Australia, the European Union, and Canada.

Join NAWG’s advocacy campaign to engage with legislators on increasing Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) programs authorized in the Farm Bill. MAP’s authorized funding has not changed since 2006 and FMD funding has remained the same since 2002, so inflation and sequestration have significantly eroded the ability to compete with other countries who are steadily investing more in their agricultural export promotion efforts. Please visit NAWG’s website to participate in the grassroots efforts to make your voice heard.

There were 2.4 days suitable for fieldwork in Idaho, up from 1.1 days reported the previous week. Most of Idaho remained cooler than normal. Significant new snowfall was reported in southwest Idaho. Some spring grains, onions, sugarbeets, and potatoes were planted. In northern Idaho, a small number of small grain acres were planted. Onion planting started in southwest Idaho. In south central Idaho, there was some rain and snow early in the week. Later in the week, things dried out enough for farmers to get in the fields.

‍Idaho agricultural groups have joined other Northwest stakeholders in asking U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to step in on the federal government's efforts to restore salmon by removing the four lower Snake River dams. Decades-long litigation over salmon in the Columbia River Basin is halted under a stay agreement until Aug. 31. During the stay, the primary parties to the litigation have entered a mediation process led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, in hopes of reaching a settlement.

The new research addition to the University of Idaho’s Parma agricultural research station is expected to open this fall. The 8,300-square-foot Idaho Center for Plant and Soil Health is under construction at the Parma Research and Extension Center, which UI’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences operates. Modern laboratories and space for additional research are among the features. The building “is really going to allow us to make significantly more investment into programming at Parma,” said Mark McGuire, associate dean and director of the system of nine extension centers and several affiliated facilities.