Factors Affecting the Supply of High Quality Spring Wheats: Comparisons Between the United States and

of higher quality hard wheats from the United This paper summarizes a larger report that States and Canada have been increasing and examined issues related to supply of high importers are becoming more differentiated quality spring wheats (Dahl and Wilson 1997). (Dahl and Wilson 1996). One of the driving Specific issues examined include: differences forces in this trend has been that in many in varietal development and release countries, firms which had previously procedures, grades and standards, incentives, purchased wheat primarily through state variety adoption, yield and protein tradeoffs, agencies now purchase privately. This is and factors affecting varietal selection fundamentally important because it allows between the North Dakota and Canada. importing firms to communicate desired quality characteristics more efficiently to exporting firms. In addition, as buyers become more discriminating, they become more Important differences exist between the concerned with the levels of specific quality United States and Canada in variety factors and consistency. Many buyers of U.S. development and release, grades and wheat have voiced concerns over consistency standards, and incentives. These differences (Minnesota Wheat and Mercier p. 15). This have an impact on the number and quality of increased demand for higher quality wheat has wheat varieties released, which in turn affect focused attention on factors influencing the the quality and consistency of wheat supply and consistency of hard wheats. produced. Hard red spring wheat is a higher quality wheat produced in the Northern Prairies of the Varietal development and release United States (primarily North Dakota) and mechanisms in Canada are different from thos