US White Wheat Growers Cash In as China Snaps Up Supplies

Spring wheat is inspected in central North Dakota, on July 25, 2018. Julie Ingwersen/Reuters

CHICAGO/BEIJING—China is scooping up supplies of U.S. white wheat to feed livestock, pushing export forecasts for the grain usually used to make sponge cakes and noodles to a 27-year high.

The purchases are the latest disruption in commodities markets caused by Chinese buying of grains and oilseeds during the coronavirus pandemic, pushing prices of major commodity crops to multi-year highs.