09/22/08 Club wheat supply could be smallest ever

Farm and Ranch September 22, 2008 The Washington Wheat Commission has come out with its first post-harvest estimate of this year's club wheat production in the Pacific Northwest. Wheat Commission vice president and analyst Glen Squires says both reduced acres and yields combined for a small crop. Squires: "What we see is the acreage is down about 30% in the PNW translating into about a 30-40% decrease in production. Yields were not very good this year. Ranging anywhere from 30-40 bushels an acre. What that translates into is a lot less club supply. We are looking in the neighborhood of seven to 7.5 million bushels in terms of production. Probably the smallest supply that we have had perhaps ever for club wheat." Where might that leave club wheat ending stocks at the end of this marketing year next May? Squires: "Ending stocks could be below a million bushels easy." As of Friday there were 40 cent premiums being paid for club over soft white. Export industry representative on the Washington Wheat Commission Mark Hausinger of CLD told a commission meeting last week that hopefully higher premiums will buy club acres. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.