Winter and spring wheat
Winter wheat is sown in autumn, goes dormant over winter and is harvested from June to August in the Northern Hemisphere. It dominates in the US Plains, Europe, Russia and Ukraine. Spring wheat is sown in April and May and harvested in August and September, mainly in Canada, the northern US and Siberia.
In the Southern Hemisphere, Australia and Argentina harvest from November to January.
Futures and reports
Prices are set on several exchanges: CBOT soft red winter wheat, KC hard red winter wheat, Minneapolis hard red spring wheat and Euronext milling wheat in Paris. Releases to watch:
- USDA WASDE, monthly
- USDA Crop Progress winter wheat ratings, weekly
- USDA Winter Wheat Seedings (January) and Small Grains Summary (September)
- Russian and Ukrainian export data and policy (quotas, duties)
- Statistics Canada and ABARES crop estimates
Weather windows to watch
Autumn sowing moisture in Russia, Ukraine and the US Plains, winterkill risk when there is little snow cover, spring dryness in the Black Sea and the US southern Plains, and the September–October rains that decide Australia's crop.
Following wheat in Kommody
Kommody weights weather by wheat area in each producing region, tracks positioning in the CFTC wheat contracts, scores wheat news for sentiment and lists the relevant reports in the release calendar.
Frequently asked questions
- Which country exports the most wheat?
- Russia, ahead of the European Union, Canada, Australia and the United States.
- What is the difference between winter and spring wheat?
- Winter wheat is sown in autumn and harvested the next summer; spring wheat is sown in spring and harvested in late summer. They grow in different regions and face different weather risks.