Dakota Gold Newsletter

On August 10, North Dakota State University cut the ribbon on the Bolley Agricultural Laboratory, a 170,700-square-foot research facility on the western edge of the Fargo campus that will shape the varieties North Dakota growers plant for decades to come.

When you ask Dr. Andrew Green what it takes to turn a first cross into a variety a grower can actually plant, his answer is pretty blunt: "Many steps."

Durum acreage is down 19% in the U.S. this year, production is projected to be down 23%, and the current year’s crop is quite unknown given the challenges of the growing season. So, why are prices stagnant? The answer is ample world production.

Continued attacks on ports in the Black Sea region have moved markets higher recently. Russia, the largest exporter of wheat, has shipped an average of 1.7 billion bushels annually in recent years.

The 2026 HRW crop is projected to be a whopping 42% lower than last year at 463 million bushels, the smallest in decades.

The winter wheat crop has been closely watched this spring as drought, heat and even freezing conditions have impacted crop conditions. The May USDA Crop Production report provided the first estimate for 2026 winter wheat, and while expectations were for a smaller crop compared to 2025, the projected 25% decline caught many by surprise. Total winter wheat production is pegged at 1.05 billion bushels, the smallest in decades. Winter wheat seedings were down marginally from