Wheat Marketing Center

Good company was found at the USW Wheat Quality Committee meeting this week, where Dr. Cory Walters (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) presented his latest research on how milling and baking characteristics influence the price of U.S. Hard Red Winter Wheat.
Cory visited WMC this past winter for the grower export workshop sponsored by the Nebraska Wheat Board, and his work is a great example of why end-use quality research matters beyond the lab. His findings show that even though farmers aren't paid directly for end-use characteristics like water absorption, mixing time, or crumb grain, those traits move price indirectly through the market — evidence that quality pays, even when it's not on the settlement sheet.

That's exactly the gap WMC works to close every day: helping growers, millers, and bakers speak the same language about quality, so the value of a better-performing wheat can be recognized and rewarded all the way down the supply chain.
Great to see good ag econ and good end-product science pointing in the same direction.

This week Wheat Marketing Center Executive Director, Mike Moran, attends the U.S. Wheat Associates Board Meeting in Fargo, North Dakota.

The meeting brings together wheat industry leaders from across the country to discuss global market development, customer engagement, wheat quality priorities, and the future of U.S. wheat in international marketsack in Portland as the Wheat Marketing Center lab team stays busy with ongoing research and product development projects. One current area of exploration includes evaluating the use of wheat in injera, the traditional fermented flatbread widely consumed in Ethiopia.

Projects like these highlight the versatility of U.S. wheat and the importance of continued innovation in meeting evolving customer and market needs around the world.

We look forward to another productive week of collaboration, research, and industry engagement!

Congratulations to Our Partner: Nebraska's Award-Winning Wheat!

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Small Grains Breeding and Genetics Program has earned the 2026 Miller's Choice Award from the Wheat Quality Council for hard red winter wheat line NE20620 — recognized for exceptional milling, mixing, and baking quality.

This kind of progress reflects exactly what the Wheat Marketing Center (WMC) exists to support: connecting world‑class wheat research with end‑user needs and global markets. Advancements like this help strengthen demand for U.S. wheat and reinforce its reputation for consistency, functionality, and value.

We’re especially proud of this milestone because the Nebraska Wheat Board is a founding WMC member and serves on our board, helping guide our mission and strategic direction. Their leadership and commitment to quality research play a key role in advancing innovation across the wheat value chain.

Congratulations to Dr. Katherine Frels and the Nebraska team for raising the bar and delivering results that benefit wheat growers, processors, and customers worldwide.

The next generation of agricultural leaders got a firsthand look at the global wheat supply chain.

Last week, the Wheat Marketing Center hosted students from the University of Idaho AgBiz Summer Fellow Program for an immersive, weeklong export tour across the Pacific Northwest. From grain terminals and tugboats to baking labs and export markets, students experienced the journey of wheat from farm to global customers.

This marks year two of a five-year USDA-supported partnership in building a stronger future for U.S. wheat through education, innovation, and collaboration.

Read more about the tour and its impact:

University of Idaho Ag Economics Program Tour - Wheat Marketing Center UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS PROGRAM STUDENTS VISITED PORTLAND FOR IMMERSIVE WHEAT EXPORT TOUR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WHEAT MARKETING CENTER  Second year of a five-year USDA-funded collaboration brings students from […]