California Wheat Commission  

Home | Directories | Quality Info | Variety Survey | CAWG Update | News/Info. | Laboratory | Links

California Association of Wheat Growers (CAWG)

May 15, 2005

USDA’S ESTIMATES ON US WHEAT SUPPLY AND DEMAND. USDA’s May 12 Supply & Demand reports pegged all wheat production at 1.25 percent above last year, but showed major shifts within classes.  It also suggested fewer abandoned acres, as planted acres declined but harvest acres increased from 2004/05.

For the first time, USDA’s Crop Production report broke out white winter wheat into Soft White and Hard White classes.  This change was requested by U.S. Wheat Associates, NAWG and WETEC to help track the establishment of the new Hard White class.  HWW production is estimated at 31.2 million bushels for 2005, and SWW at 251.3 million bushels.  Overall, white wheat production is expected to increase by almost 7.5 percent. Hard Red Winter production is up 14.9 percent to over 1 billion bushels, while Soft Red Winter is down nearly 26 percent to 302 million bushels.

CALIFORNIA WHEAT COMMISSION RELEASES VARIETY SURVEY. The California Wheat Commission published its annual survey on wheat varieties planted in California for 2005. Blanca Grande is the dominant hard white variety, followed by Alpowa and Dirkwin. White wheat acreage was up over 2004 while red wheat decreased. Summit and Yecora Rojo were the leading red varieties, although both were down from last year. Durum acreage was down substantially in both the San Joaquin Valley and in the South. Kronos, Mohawk and Orita are the top varieties.

Overall, 2005 wheat planted acres are down about 15 percent over 2004. All major regions saw a drop except the Sierra region in Northern California. Increased demand by the dairy industry in the Central Valley is expected to encourage additional greenchop. For more details, call the CWC at (530) 661-1292 or view the full report on their website at www.californiawheat.org.

NEW INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE TO TACKLE SEQUENCING OF WHEAT GENOME. The first meeting of the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (WGSC) will take place May 31 in Bozeman, Montana.  The group’s kickoff meeting coincides with the ITMI Conference in Bozeman (May 29-31) and will have the goals of finalizing the WGSC mission statement, the Coordinating Committee, and a strategy to secure funding.

The international WGSC is a collaboration of scientists, industry, and governmental entities dedicated to expediting the sequencing of the wheat genome for global benefits.  Membership in the WSGC is open to any individual or organization that supports the organization’s goals and objectives. 

Wheat is the staple food for 40% of the world’s population, providing 20% of the calories and 55% of the carbohydrates consumed.  The sequence of the wheat genome will result ultimately in healthier and more nutritious food that could lead to vast improvements in human and animal health. 

The rice genome has been sequenced and the maize genome-sequencing project will begin later this year.  Wheat, rice, and maize provide about three quarters of the calories and half of the protein required by the world’s population. 

Last November, NAWG visited the National Science Foundation’s Plant Genome Initiative, making a case for sequencing the wheat genome.  Wheat’s heavier reliance on public breeding programs compared to other crops, declining acreage and production, and slower growth in yield and advanced traits all argue for an increased focus on mapping the wheat genome.

The Kansas Wheat Commission and Kansas State University have spearheaded the effort to create an international consortium and are covering startup costs for the consortium. The draft mission statement, white paper, and other materials are available on the International WGSC website at www.wheatgenome.org. 

SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL PASSES CONGRESS. (News from WETEC)

The 2004 Supplemental Appropriations Bill’s conference report (HR 1268) passed the House of Representatives on May 5 with an approval of 368 to 58. The same bill passed the Senate on May 10 with a unanimous vote of 100 to 0.

The Senate was not able to prevail on the issue of funding for international food aid assistance; the allocation was cut from $470 million to $240 million:

The House of Representatives and the Senate Supplemental Appropriations Bill Conferees submitted their conference report on May 3, 2005. It was sent to the President on May 10. The $240 million in emergency spending for P.L. 480 Title II will remain available until expended.

2006 APPROPRIATIONS MARK UP SET. The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to markup the FY 2006 Agriculture Appropriations bill May 16, 2005. The subcommittee has been allocated $16.8 billion for discretionary programs, the same amount for 2005. Furthermore, the FY 2006 fiscal budget resolution requires the agriculture authorizing committees to cut $173 million of mandatory spending in 2006 with a total of $3 billion over five years.

Observers are not sure where the subcommittee will focus their cuts, although the Chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Henry Bonilla (R-TX) stated to the press that he would “prioritize domestic programs.” This is causing many people to speculate that international programs such as the market access program (MAP), foreign market development (FMD), and food aid could take hits. It is also assumed that cuts will be focused on the familiar targets of conservation and research.

The Senate subcommittee allocations have not been released.