Montana Wheat Prices Spike 11% in Two Weeks, as European Conflict, Drought Takes Toll

Weeks ago, the Montana Wheat & Barley Committee (MWBC) was uncertain on how the predatory Russian war against Ukraine would affect wheat and barley prices in the state. Both countries are two of the biggest exporters of these commodities, with Ukraine exporting 10-15% of the world’s grain, and the battle hadn’t really begun. At the time, MBWC Committee Vice President Cassidy Marn told KPAX that the clawback for crops in the black sea region would have an impact of some kind, though to what extent she couldn’t say:

“We may see that affected in price, we also may see that affected when spring rolls around and planters are deciding what to plant, and with the prices beginning to increase it’s certainly a crop that’s very appealing.”

Now we know. With the drastic uptick, prices are higher than they’ve been years, with Marn updating on the status of the affected market.

“We’re watching futures go limit up week after week with this overall per bushel crop. At this point today we are well over $9 for both Winter Wheat and Spring Wheat futures. Last week we saw the largest rise that we have seen since 1959.”

At this rate, prices are only expected to rise with no reprieve in the near future. This doesn’t make it an automatic boon for farmers, however. Despite prices hovering near 11$ a bushel, many farmers can’t just drive their trucks over to the grain elevators and cash in.

They had to exhaust so much of their stores during last year’s brutal drought just to stay afloat and fill contracts to the point that those bins are empty and all they’re seeing now is the consequences of inflation and higher fuel prices without the ability to reap the rewards.

This article was sponsored in part by David August resident of Flathead County running for HD 9.