Over the past few years, farmers have cut their spending due to low commodity prices caused, in part, by a global glut of commodities. A Dow Jones report indicates that it’s now commodity traders’ turn to make significant adjustments. Major players in the global grain trade, such as Archer Daniels Midland and Bunge, Ltd., are reducing expenditures by hundreds of …
Cheerios Ditches Gluten-Free Label in Canada
Cheerios cereal sold in Canada will no longer be labeled “gluten-free.” CBC News of Canada reports that Manufacturer General Mills has confirmed it will voluntarily remove the labels from the cereal boxes sold in Canadian stores “as soon as possible,” even though it says the product contains less than 20 parts per million of gluten, which meets the regulatory standard …
Wheat Growers Association President Resigns for Potential FSA Appointment
The National Wheat Growers Association said Monday that association president David Schemm has resigned from his position to pursue other professional opportunities in his home state. The High Plains Journal says Schemm, a Sharon Springs, Kansas, wheat grower, has reportedly been tapped to accept the position of Kansas Farm Service Agency executive director. Wheat Growers CEO Chandler Goule said that …
Egypt Issuing Wheat Import Guidelines to Tackle Trade Problems
Egypt plans to issue a streamlined guide on wheat import regulations for global traders. The guidelines will detail all specifications, procedures, and regulations for traders selling to the world’s largest buyer, Egypt. The guidelines will be issued within the next two weeks. Reuters says Egypt is looking to calm nervous suppliers who have been adding high-risk premiums because of what …
U.S. Wheat Closing Cairo Office
U.S. Wheat Associates announced it would close its office located in Cairo, Egypt in December. U.S. Wheat President Vince Peterson called the decision “difficult.” However, he said the organization saw a need to begin adjusting its activities in the Middle East and North Africa several years ago as the supply of significantly lower-priced wheat from Russia increased. The organization previously …
Tropical Storm Nate Causes Crop Quality Coincerns
Soggy cotton and waterlogged peanuts have farmers concerned about crop quality in the wake of Tropical Storm Nate, which brought 35 mph winds and torrential rain to parts of Alabama last week. It’s too early to accurately calculate yield loss from the storm, though farmers like Dallas County’s Wendy Yeager say damage was less than anticipated. “I expected it to …
Southern Region October Crop Production
The Southern Region October Crop Production has Corn production in the United States is forecast at 14.3 billion bushels, down 6 percent from last year. Based on conditions as of October 1, yields are expected to average 171.8 bushels per acre. Soybean production is forecast at a record high 4.43 billion bushels, up 3 percent from last year. All cotton …
Gluten Free Wheat Near Reality
Researchers in Europe are close to creating a gluten-free bread. A team of scientists using CRISPR gene-editing technology has found a way to reduce the number of gluten proteins in an individual wheat kernel. In doing so, they were able to create a plant that could be used in the future to make flour for bread that can be considered …
Soft Durum Wheat Opens Door to Expand Food Uses
Soft Svevo, a new soft durum wheat variety developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their collaborators, could expand the market for wheat. Traditional durum wheats are primarily grown as a source of semolina—a coarse meal used to make pasta, couscous, and other products. However, producing semolina requires specialized mills that can grind durum wheat’s rock-hard kernels. This, in …
WTO Will Investigate U.S. Complaint over China
The World Trade Organization has created a dispute panel to investigate U.S. complaints regarding import quotas by China. The panel came at the request of the U.S. regarding quotas on wheat, rice, and corn. The panel on tariff rate quotas for agricultural products was automatically established as it was the second request by the United States at the WTO Dispute …