The North Dakota Mill Grain Buyer Reece Johnson says a lot of planning happened earlier this year to secure wheat for flour production. “We took it upon ourselves to get aggressive early on to find wheat and we’re always looking. The drought gives us opportunities to reach out to areas of the state we normally don’t pull wheat from. We are going further south and across the river into Minnesota. We’re also talking to durum producers around Devils Lake and Minot.” There are some concern about wheat supplies. As the combines start to roll, Johnson hopes to get a clearer picture of North Dakota’s situation. Higher protein levels are expected for spring wheat, with the standard for milling quality at 14 percent protein. “Protein levels will be an interesting story this year.”
