Wheat on the Move
 | Author:
Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater Extension Agent
MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent |
MSU Extension Corner
Montana Wheat on the Move
BY: Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent
Harvest season has mainly wrapped up in Montana. Combines have made rounds collecting bins full of ripe golden wheat and barley. In 2020, agriculture producers in Broadwater County harvested 14,800 acres of spring wheat, 12,300 acres of winter wheat and 4,270 acres of barley. Their numbers were up significantly from the year before. Even though our county is not a major player in the Montana wheat market, wheat is a major crop for our county along with hay, seed crops and potatoes.
Montana ranks fourth in the United States in wheat production, following Kansas, North Dakota and Oklahoma. After harvest, approximately 80% of Montana’s wheat crop is exported overseas and the remaining 20% stays in the United States for local millers and feed grain. Wheat is Montana’s largest export commodity, exporting about 100 million bushels each year valued at $565 million. Almost all of Montana’s exported wheat travels by train, truck or barge to Portland.
For many years, the United States was the largest exporter of wheat in the world. However, in recent years, it has fallen to second, behind Russia. However, the difference is marginal. In 2021, Russia exported $7.3 billion in wheat and the United States exported $7.29 billion. The United States is extremely competitive in the wheat market due to our high-quality wheat. The top five destinations of American wheat are the Philippines, Mexico, Japan, China and South Korea. Over 50% of Montana wheat goes to Asia where it is used for Asian noodles and flour.
In 2021, production of hard red spring wheat was at the lowest level in more than 30 years with a 42 percent decrease. Durum production which is primarily focused on the Northern Plains in Montana and North Dakota was at the lowest rate in 60 years, down by nearly half from last year. However, crops have rebounded in 2022 as drought conditions improve in most areas of the state.
Wheat is evaluated on several standards including protein, falling numbers (sprout damage) and grade. These standards are extremely important because they affect the final food product. For example, gluten strength is tied to wheat protein and is a key factor for bread’s ability to rise and maintain shape when baked. There are six classes of wheat which each have unique qualities that affect the end food product.
Hard Red Winter Wheat – Commonly grown in Montana and the Midwest. It is very versatile for baking and is a choice wheat for Asian noodles, hard rolls, flatbreads and general use flour.
Hard Red Spring Wheat – Commonly grown in Montana and the Dakotas. It is most often used for “designer” wheat foods such as rolls, croissants, bagels and pizza crusts. It can be used to blend with other wheat flours to improve the quality.
Soft Red Winter Wheat– Found in the eastern USA. It typically has weak gluten strength and is excellent for cookies, crackers, pretzels, pastries and flatbreads.
Soft White Wheat – Commonly grown in the Pacific Northwest. It is a lower-moisture wheat resulting in a whiter product that is good for cakes, pastries, Asian noodles and Middle Eastern flatbreads.
Hard White – The newest class of US wheat is grown in the Midwest and California. It is great for Asian noodles and whole wheat products.
Durum – This is the hardest wheat, grown in Northeast Montana and North Dakota. Its high gluten content makes it great for pasta and Mediterranean breads.
What we do here in Montana has a large impact on the US and world economy related to wheat products. Local farmers work hard to maintain a high-quality wheat. For more information about agriculture production, contact MSU Extension in Broadwater County at 406.266.9242 or allison.kosto@montana.edu.
