Idaho Wheat Commission outlines markets, research and $4.5M budget to lawmakers

Britney Hurst Marchant, executive director of the Idaho Wheat Commission, briefed the House Agriculture Affairs Committee on the history, mission and operations of the commission and described the state’s wheat production and export markets.

Marchant told the committee the commission was created by growers in 1959 as a self‑governing quasi‑state entity funded by a per‑bushel assessment collected at first sale. The commission’s annual budget is about $4.5 million, she said, with roughly $1.2 million directed to research at public institutions including the University of Idaho and Utah State University and collaborative projects with Oregon State University, Washington State University and USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

Why it matters: Idaho produces roughly 100 million bushels of wheat on about 1.2 million acres and contributes about $700 million in cash receipts to the state economy annually, Marchant said. Idaho grows five of the six U.S. classes of wheat and is the nation’s top producer of hard white wheat; soft white makes up roughly 68% of Idaho’s crop and is widely exported for noodles, steamed buns and other products in Asia and for pastries and breads in Latin America.

Marchant described the commission’s market development work, including trade missions and hosting foreign purchasers to maintain relationships that support exports. She said about half of Idaho’s wheat is exported, with a substantial share shipped via the Columbia‑Snake river system from the Port of Lewiston to export terminals in the Pacific Northwest.

The commission’s role in research and market development: Marchant said the commission allocates funds to university research and market development to protect grower incomes and meet overseas buyers’ requirements. She highlighted that wheat from Idaho and the Pacific Northwest is prized for consistency and quality, and described novel buyers and uses — for example, soft white wheat’s role as a binding ingredient in aquaculture feeds for shrimp and salmon in South America.

Questions from committee members focused on trade and policy: Representatives asked about the commission’s international relationships, whether the war in Ukraine has changed market dynamics and the status of USDA ARS staff previously furloughed or dismissed. Marchant said Idaho has maintained strong trade relationships and that, while global events change markets, many customers seeking high‑quality wheat still favor U.S. and Pacific Northwest supplies. She also said many ARS scientists in the Pacific Northwest have been rehired, though some technician positions remain unfilled.

Illustrative detail: Marchant noted brands and products that use Pacific Northwest wheat — including tortillas, certain bakery products and even Goldfish crackers made in a Utah bakery that sources Idaho wheat — to underscore the connection between Idaho production and retail products.

Outcome: This was a committee informational briefing; no bill action followed directly from the presentation.