07/25/06 Idaho hard white wheat

There's been a concerted drive in recent years to get Idaho farmers to grow more hard white wheat. JOHNSON "Our overseas customers want it but we're in a dilemma." That dilemma says Idaho Grain Producers executive director Steve Johnson is the old chicken-egg routine. JOHNSON "Do we create the market or do we create the supply? And at this point if we create the supply nobody is out there to buy it and so that puts growers at a disadvantage. They're not willing to just jump in and start growing it with the hope that they will sell it." But Idaho growers have already cut back on hard white wheat acreage. According to the Idaho Wheat Commission last year growers produced 38 thousand acres of hard white wheat, 28 thousand of that was hard white spring. That's down from an overall 45 thousand acres in 2004 and well below the 69 thousand acres in 2000. Who are the buyers now? South Africa, South Korea, Mexico, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines all took shipments of US hard white wheat in 2005. With budget deficits facing Congress it may be impossible to get an extension for an incentive program that encouraged growers to plant hard white wheat. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott