Winter Wheat
Based on August 1, 2016 conditions, production of winter wheat in Idaho is forecast at 64.8 million bushels, up 5 percent from the July 1 forecast and up 13 percent from last year. Harvested area, at 720,000 acres, is up 20,000 acres from 2015. Yield is expected to be 90.0 bushels per acre, up 8.0 bushels from 2015.

Spring Wheat
Idaho spring wheat production is forecast at 33.9 million bushels, up 3 percent from the July 1 forecast and up 14 percent from last year. Harvested area, at 440,000 acres, is up 15,000 acres from 2015. Yield is expected to be 77.0 bushels per acre, up 7.0 bushels from 2015.

2016 Cereal Schools slated

This year’s annual Cereal Schools hosted by Idaho Wheat Commission, Idaho Barley Commission and the University of Idaho, are set to roll through Northern Idaho and Eastern and Southern  Idaho the last week of January and the first week of February.
University of Idaho personnel in north Idaho will focus on variety testing and liming research in wheat-legume rotations; regional soil pH survey results; weed control in cereals and legumes; a canola production update; and crop costs and returns updates.
“Attendees can expect the latest information about ongoing grass and broadleaf weed control in grains and legumes, learn about our regional soil acidity problems and new research to address those issues,” said Doug Finkelnburg, UI extension cropping systems educator in Nez Perce County.
A discussion of the economics of oilseed production and changing costs of production and their implications to area producers are also on the agenda, he said.
Educators in southeast Idaho will address vole control; insect and weed control using cover crops; last season’s insect issues; herbicide resistant weed management; managing cereal diseases; variety selection; and water management, including managing curtailment, input costs, grain quality and water efficiency.
The discussion on cereal diseases will focus on all the practices available to reduce disease, said Juliet Marshall, University of Idaho cereal pathologist.
Disease management is a multi-pronged approach, including fungicides, variety selection, irrigation management, and residue and rotation management, she said.
State pesticide applicator and certified crop advisor credits are offered. Lunch will be provided. Registration fees vary by location to help defray costs.
Northern Idaho
Registration is at 8 a.m. Program begins at 8:15 a.m. and adjourns at 1 p.m.
Jan. 26 – Greencreek, Community Hall, 1301 Greencreek Rd., no fee
Jan. 27 – Lewiston,  Ketch Pen, Lewiston Roundup Grounds, 2100 Tammany Creek Rd., $10
Jan. 28 – Bonners Ferry, UI Extension office, 6447 Kootenai St., no fee
Eastern and Southern Idaho
Registration is at 8:30 a.m. Program begins at 9 a.m. and adjourns at 3 p.m. at Ashton and Preston; 3:30 p.m. at Pocatello and Idaho Falls, and 3:40 p.m. at Burley
Feb. 2 – Burley, Morey’s Steak House, 219 E. 3rd St.,  $20
Feb. 3 – Pocatello, Red Lion Hotel, 1555 Pocatello Creek Rd., $20
Feb. 4 – Idaho Falls, Residence Inn, 635 West Broadway St., $20
Feb. 4 – Ashton, Trails Inn Restaurant, 213 2nd Street, $15
Feb. 5 – Preston, Robinson Building, Fairgrounds, 186 West 2nd North, $20.

Taking a Look at Price Spreads from Farm to Consumer

Flour, white, all purpose, per pound1
Year	Retail price	Farm value	Farm share
	Dollars		Percent
2000	0.29	0.05	17
2001	0.30	0.05	17
2002	0.31	0.07	21
2003	0.31	0.06	20
2004	0.30	0.07	22
2005	0.32	0.06	20
2006	0.33	0.08	26
2007	0.36	0.11	32
2008	0.51	0.15	30
2009	0.50	0.10	20
2010	0.48	0.10	20
2011	0.52	0.13	25
2012	0.52	0.14	26
2013	0.52	0.14	26
1Retail price is the price per pound for white, all purpose flour sold in all package sizes.
Source: Calculated by ERS, USDA using data on retail
prices from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and data on
farm-gate prices published by USDA agencies.

New Report Confirms Biotechnology Crop Growth

By USW Policy Specialist Elizabeth Westendorf
At the end of January, The The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) released its 2014 report on the global status of commercialized crops with traits derived from biotechnology. The report, dedicated to the late Nobel Peace Laureate and renowned wheat breeder Norman Borlaug to honor his birth centennial, outlines global biotech production, areas of growth and the effect of biotech crops on farmers’ livelihoods.
Some of the key points from the report were: •Twenty-eight countries produced biotech crops commercially last year, involving 18 million farmers and 181 million hectares of land;
•Twenty were developing countries and 90 percent of the farmers from these countries were small, risk-averse and poor;
•Bangladesh was the newest addition, with Bt eggplant commercialized and planted in 2014;
•Repeat planting among farmers was at virtually 100 percent, indicating that farmers see economic benefits from the technology;
•Biotech food crops planted in 2014 included white maize, sugar beet, sweet corn, papaya, squash, and eggplant; U.S. regulators also approved the Innate™ potato, which is resistant to bruising and lowers the already low risk of human exposure to acrylamide, a potential carcinogen, traits that directly benefit consumers;
•Thirty-eight countries granted 3,083 regulatory approvals for 27 biotech crops and 357 biotech events since 1994, while Japan has granted the most approvals at 201 events.
The United States is still the largest producer of biotech crops, with 73.1 million hectares in production and eight different biotech crops commercialized. Last year, there was increased adoption of drought tolerant maize, which increased 5.5 fold from 2013.
Breeders are studying potential biotech traits in wheat in the United States, but also in Australia, the United Kingdom, China, Canada and other countries. A number of African countries are developing biotech varieties for staple crops that will help smallholder farmers, and field trials for drought tolerant and pest resistant wheat have taken place in Africa in the past.
The report also referenced a 2014 meta-analysis conducted by Klumper and Qaim, which analyzed 147 published studies on biotech crops over 20 years and confirmed the benefits of the technology. The study concluded that biotech crops on average reduce pesticide use by 37 percent, increase yields by 22 percent, and increase farmer profits by 68 percent. The authors estimated that the reduction in pesticide use due to biotech crops has kept 500 million kilograms of active ingredient out of the environment.
In addition to the huge successes in biotechnology, non-biotech innovation continues to show excellent results. The report highlights several types of technology developed for biotech research that researchers are applying with excellent results in non-biotech crop breeding.
The efforts by a vocal minority to create unwarranted fear of these innovations among the world’s consumers complicates the daunting task for farmers who must increase food production by 60 percent to feed a population that will top the nine billion mark by 2050. Wheat makes up 20 percent of human calories and farmers will have to produce more and better wheat, more efficiently and more sustainably in the future. We must recognize consumer choice, yet we must also consider all the options available to the people we depend on to feed us every day — and the ISAAA report reflects consistent growth in adoption of biotechnology even in the face of such opposition.
Read more at http://bit.ly/1AhGUJ1.

2015 GRAIN MARKETING & HEDGING 101 WORKSHOPS

Sponsored by the Idaho Barley Commission and DL Evans Bank, 8:30 a.m. to noon. 
• Jan. 14 – Hampton Inn, Idaho Falls
• Jan. 15 – Burley Inn
Pre-registration required by Jan. 7 calling Kelly Olson at Idaho Barley Commission at 208.334.2090 or 208.409.9165, or emailing kolson@idahobarley.org
FARM BILL & CROP INSURANCE WORKSHOPS – NORTH IDAHO, 8:30 a.m. to noon, with breakfast
• Jan. 12 – Craigmont - Community Center
• Jan. 13 – Lewiston – LCSC Williams Conference Center
• Jan. 14 – Plummer – Benewah Medical Center
• Jan. 15 – Bonners Ferry – Boundary County Extension Office
Pre-registration required by Jan. 7 calling Kelly Olson at Idaho Barley Commission at 208.334.2090 or 208.409.9165, or emailing kolson@idahobarley.org
UI Extension Farm & Ranch Management Classes will begin Jan. 14, 2015, at Madison Senior Center in Rexburg from 1:00 to 4:00 pm (classes will run 6 consecutive weeks). Pre-registration required by Jan. 9 by calling Ben Eborn at Teton County Extension, 208.354.2961 ($100 per operation).

Farm Bill / Crop Insurance Workshops

• Crop Insurance – review of barley and wheat policy coverage and potential changes in 2016 - Ben Thiel, RMA Spokane Regional Office Director
• Farm Bill – overview of key provisions & on-line decision tools to compare PLC and ARC – Ken Hart, University of Idaho Extension and Jeremy Nalder, FSA State Office
• Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) - how it works for wheat and barley – Ben Thiel, RMA Spokane Regional Office Director

Jan. 12 – Craigmont - Community Center

Jan. 14 – Lewiston – LCSC Williams Conference Center

Jan. 15 – Plummer – Benewah Medical Center

Jan. 16 – Bonners

8:30 a.m. to 12:00 pm, with break-fast. Pre-registration required. Call Idaho Barley Commission 208-334-2090, 208-409-9165 or kol-son@idahobarley.org

Farm Income Tax Update Webinar Offered to Idaho Grain Growers

The Idaho Wheat Commission will be presenting a web-based grower education webinar.  The Farm Income Tax Update webinar will be approximately one hour.  Participation is free. Log onto the website at http://connect.cals.uidaho.edu/wheat (requires Adobe Flash Player which is installed on most computers) and enter your name as a participant.
Friday, January 9 at 8:00 AM MST 
“Farm Income Tax Update.”  Guest presenter, Jerry Brown, CPA will cover current income tax developments including the new regulation on capitalization of repairs recently imposed by the Internal Revenue Service.  Additional topics will cover new changes to the law affecting 2014 tax returns.
Jerry Brown owns and operates a dry land and irrigated farm where he raises winter and spring wheat, and barley.  Jerry has been farming for over 40 years, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, a Master of Accounting from Utah State University, and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Brown was appointed by Governor Otter to the Idaho Wheat Commission in 2009.  He represents wheat producers of District Five, which includes Bannock, Bear Lake, Caribou, Franklin, Oneida, and Power counties. 
For those who cannot view the webinar in real time, it will be recorded and available at: www.idahowheat.org.