Idaho Wheat

Idaho ranks 9th nationally in production of all wheat. Idaho farmers produce high quality consistent wheat. Many wheat varieties grown on Idaho farms in potato / alfalfa / barley / sugarbeet rotations yield in excess of 100 bushels per acre. One big reason for the yield advantage is timed irrigation delivered to meet the crop's specific requirements.

Idaho farmers typically plant about 1.2 million acres of wheat each year. The largest production areas are in the eastern part of the state and the north central Palouse region. By variety, Westbred 936, a hard red spring variety, was planted more than any other variety in 2003.

By class Idaho produces a significant amount of soft white wheat grown for export and used primarily in Asian countries for pastry and noodle making. Soft white winter varieties accounted for nearly 43 percent of Idaho's total planted wheat area in 2006. The most popular varieties among the soft whites are Madsen, Stevens, Penawawa and Brundage.

In 2006 (the most recent year in which statistics are available) Idaho farmers planted 480,000 acres to spring wheat varieties and 760,000 acres in winter wheat varieties. Spring wheat production totaled 29.7 million bushels while winter wheat production totaled 57.6 million bushels. The total value of combined production was $309 million.