Released: March 24, 2005

White Wheat Issues Discussed At K-State’s IGP Conference

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Hard white wheat production in the United States is at a critical juncture, and to address the challenges and opportunities facing the wheat industry, the International Grains Program at Kansas State University hosted a Hard White Wheat Export Contracting Conference and Trade Show March 14-16. The conference was held at the IGP Executive Conference Center in Manhattan, Kan.

K-State’s IGP, along with U.S. Wheat Associates and other hard white (HW) wheat-producing states presented the conference to facilitate dialogue with originators, processors, exporters and international end-use customers of U.S. HW wheat. From Texas to the Pacific Northwest, 12 HW wheat producing states were represented at the conference.

“Hard white wheat production in the United States is at a crossroads,” said David Frey, Kansas Wheat Commission executive director.

The topic is particularly important now because a federally-funded incentive program to encourage hard white wheat production in the United States will end with the 2005 harvest, said Mark Fowler, IGP flour milling specialist. Any incentive for continued or expanded production of hard white wheat must now rely solely on the marketplace.

“We’ve always focused on the farmers, but their incentives come from the country elevator,” said Dick Prior, U.S. Wheat Associates Middle East/East Africa Regional vice president.

Prior to this gathering, two hard white wheat summits for producers were held in Colby, Kan., and Guymon, Okla. The IGP event was focused on elevator managers.

“The purpose of previous summits and this one was to collectively look at HW wheat and determine whether there is a demand for it,” said John Oades, U.S. Wheat Associates West Coast director. “And there is.”

The crowd of nearly 100 consisted of producers, grain handlers, domestic and export wheat buyers and flour millers. Wheat buying countries represented were Egypt, Mexico, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and South Africa.

Panel discussions encouraged participant debate on highlighted topics. Panel moderators included John Oades, U.S. Wheat Associates; John Gillcrest, president of Bartlett Milling and past chairman of the North American Millers Association; Tom Willis, Right COOP, Wright, Kan.; and Vince Peterson, U.S. Wheat Vice President of Overseas Operations.

A common problem mentioned by many of the presenters was that the United States has struggled to achieve production levels sufficient to supply both domestic and export demands. Development of high-performing HW wheat varieties has made this class of wheat a recent option for wheat producers in some areas of the plains and mountain states and California.

Oades said the road forward involves ramping up production: “We want to create solutions to the constraints (limiting production).

“We have to stay up with everybody else – customer demands and competition,” said Bonnie Fernandez, executive director of the California Wheat Commission. She discussed the depth of the U.S. wheat industry and people involved in it. “It takes getting the different sections of the spectrum educated for it to be successful,” she said. “Elevator managers are critical in making this wheat class happen.”

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Nicole Young
K-State Research& Extension News