Three major announcements were made this week in the world of wheat research, demonstrating the increasing speed with which innovations and partnerships are occurring that should quicken the release of new and improved varieties for growers.

Members of the NAWG Foundation Development Committee and past NAWG presidents from four decades met in Tampa, Fla., this week to review the Association’s current operations and look to the future.

Despite the benefits delivered by GM crops, a few continue to oppose the technology at every opportunity.

NAWG Second Vice President Erik Younggren hosted on his farm this week House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), who is also his Congressman, and Risk Management Agency (RMA) Administrator Bill Murphy.

NAWG joined a coalition this week in submitting comments related to the timing of regulation on farms under the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule, suggesting a four-year delay in compliance deadlines for agricultural operations.

NAWG Second Vice President Erik Younggren has added a duty to his farm season schedule – blogging.

Agriculture leaders in the Senate and House have introduced legislation that would eliminate the need for additional permitting for pesticide or other crop protection product applications if they are performed within existing label requirements.

Staff and grower-leaders of NAWG and U.S. Wheat Associates continue to field calls from national and international media outlets interested in wheat supplies following last week’s announcement by Russia that it would ban grain exports.

The National Association of Wheat Growers has signed up to support CropWorld 2010, a global meeting and trade show for those at the forefront of sustainable crop production, scheduled for Nov. 1 to 3 in London, United Kingdom.

NAWG President Jerry McReynolds spoke to the listeners of The Diane Rehm Show Tuesday morning from his fields in Kansas.

The agriculture community heard directly from U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk this week on trade priorities that have stalled despite their importance to the industry’s market share around the world.

Wheat prices soaring on news of production problems in Russia got an unusual boost this week when the country announced a ban on grain exports until at least December.

The Agricultural Advisory Committee of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) met Thursday in Washington to consider issues related to the cotton, wheat and livestock markets.