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Wheat Industry Revving Up Visits to Overseas Customers by Matthew Weaver Capital Press, October 28, 2022

Customers haven't asked about or expressed concern about
the ongoing battle over breaching the Snake River dams

Wheat industry representatives are ramping up visits with overseas customers this fall and winter.

Northwest farmers, researchers and other industry experts will participate in crop quality tours hosted by U.S. Wheat Associates, the overseas marketing arm for the industry.

At least four groups of five to seven people representing Pacific Northwest wheat farmers will head overseas.

A trip typically covers four or five countries in a week to 10 days, said Casey Chumrau, CEO of the Washington Grain Commission.

During he meetings, customers primarily want to know about the crop's quality, she said.

The timing is fortuitous, industry leaders said.

"I'm glad it's restarting at a time when we have such a good crop to talk about," said Amanda Hoey, Oregon Wheat's CEO. "2022 was an excellent year."

The 2022 U.S. soft white wheat crop is 6.9 million metric tons, a 46% increase from last year’s 4.8 million metric tons and comparable to the five-year average of 6.5 million metric tons, according to USDA and U.S. Wheat.

Countries that typically bought wheat from Ukraine and Russia are considering other options, said Britany Hurst Marchant, executive director of the Idaho Wheat Commission.

During the pandemic the industry pivoted to virtual trade teams. In-person visits resumed this summer.

"But now we get to get back to a little bit more of what we would call normal business and we're really looking forward to reconnecting," Chumrau said.

Customers haven't asked about or expressed concern about the ongoing battle over breaching the Snake River dams, the three wheat leaders say.

A major selling point for wheat from the Pacific Northwest that customers can get product consistently and quickly, and that's because of the river system," Marchant said.

Among this year's meetings and trade teams:

• U.S. Wheat had its first in-person board team visits since 2019, traveling to Asian markets, said Steve Mercer, vice president of communications. These are "supervisory trips" to overseas U.S. Wheat offices. U.S. Wheat directors meet with staff and customers to evaluate how the organization is performing.

• U.S. Wheat chair Rhonda Larson, an East Grand Forks, Minn., farmer, recently visited the Middle East with U.S. Wheat staff to attend the regional International Association of Operative Millers meeting in Zanzibar and a U.S. Wheat crop quality seminar in Cairo for regional wheat buyers. Larson will also attend the Latin American Millers Association's meeting in November.

• U.S. Wheat president Vince Peterson, overseas operations vice president Mike Spier and vice chairman Michael Peters, an Okarche, Okla., farmer, attended a meeting of Brazilian millers in October.

• Also in October, retiring Washington Grain Commission CEO Glen Squires visited with customers in Japan, Chumrau said.