Farm-level prices for many of the state’s top agricultural commodities have softened from record or near-record levels last year. But overall farm production costs have held steady for many of the state’s ag producers. This has created some headwinds for the 2023 growing season and could squeeze profitability for many of Idaho’s 25,000 farms and ranches.

A federal judge has yanked approval for a phosphate mining project in southeastern Idaho, saying federal land managers in the Trump administration didn’t in part properly consider the mine’s impact on sage grouse, a bird species that has seen an 80% decline in population since 1965. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill’s Friday decision came five months after he found fault with the way the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved the Caldwell Canyon Mine in 2019.

When it comes to agriculture, wheat is king in Nez Perce County. But the county is very diverse geographically and plenty of other crops are produced there as well.

The Idaho Wheat Commission (IWC) commissioners nominated and unanimously elected commissioner Wayne Hurst, Declo, to serve as the Commission Chairman for the 2024 fiscal year. At the same time, commissioner Bill Flory, Culdesac, was nominated and elected to serve as Vice-Chairman for the same period. Clark Hamilton and Wayne Hurst previously held the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively.

Idaho Wheat Commission wants to take YOU out to the ballgame!We are teaming up with Idaho Grain Producers Association and Idaho Barley Commission for Idaho Grain Night with the Chukars Baseball team on Friday, July 7, 2023. Reserve your FREE tickets now!

India has imposed a limit on the amount of wheat stocks traders can hold in an effort to bring down prices, food secretary Sanjeev Chopra told reporters on Monday. The world's second biggest wheat producer will also provide 1.5 million tonnes of wheat to bulk consumers such as flour millers, as part of efforts to bring down prices, which have risen 8% in a month, Chopra said. "Unscrupulous elements are hoarding wheat stocks and that's why prices are rising," he said.

The news that U.S. flour milling companies have imported European wheat has raised concerns and frustrations for U.S. wheat stakeholders. To an organization like U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) that with our state wheat commission members promotes exports on behalf of U.S. wheat farmers, such news is particularly disappointing. After all, U.S. farmers produce enough wheat each year to meet domestic demand and still offer about half the crop to export markets.