Hard white wheat (HWW), which has a white-flour look and whole-wheat nutrition, has milling and baking qualities that make it particularly suited for certain products. These include not only whole-wheat products, but pan breads, tortillas, and certain kinds of oriental noodles. In 2003, HWW plantings accounted for 2.3 percent of all wheat grown in major HWW-producing States. This represented an acceleration, occurring in part because of a government incentive program. Up to now, HWW sales have been largely confined to the domestic market because production is not large enough to sustain steady exports. In addition, strong foreign competition makes it unlikely that the international marketplace will generate any significant price premiums for HWW. Continuing expansion of HWW production would depend on the development of new, higher-yielding varieties that are more tolerant to sprout damage—a major problem in 2004—and continuation of the government incentive program.
