ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, U.S. — Four milling and food industry marketing executives from the Philippines will visit North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana and Oregon Aug. 5 to 17 to learn more about the U.S. wheat industry and discuss activities and programs that promote wheat consumption in the U.S., U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) said on Aug. 6.

“Per capita wheat growth has increased steadily in other South Asian countries but has remained flat in the Philippines, the fifth largest market for U.S. wheat. These executives are members of a marketing committee formed to help Philippine millers and bakers increase demand for their products,” said Joe Sowers, USW assistant regional director for South Asia in the USW Manila Office, who will accompany the team. “The team will use what it learns on this trip to help design new marketing campaigns to promote wheat foods consumption as a healthy part of the Filipino diet.”

USW is sponsoring this trade team with support from the North Dakota Wheat Commission, Minnesota Research & Promotion Council, Montana Wheat & Barley Committee and Oregon Wheat Commission. The team will meet with university researchers, farmers and industry officials in those states to discuss a range of topics from the current wheat crop to childhood nutrition. The team hopes to see the hard red spring (HRS) and soft white (SW) harvest while visiting farmers in Montana and Oregon in addition to touring grain elevators and port facilities.

USW first opened its Manila office in 1961 and celebrated the 50th anniversary of its partnership with the Filipino milling and baking industries last February. The Philippines imported nearly 2.1 million tonnes of U.S. wheat in 2011-12, the highest sales in a decade, and exceeded a 97% U.S. market share. The Philippines is the second largest importer of U.S. SW and HRS wheat in the world and imports more wheat than any other U.S. agricultural product.