ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, U.S. — U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) is bringing a team of mid-level Japanese flour milling managers to observe the U.S. wheat system from Aug. 25-31.

The team will visit Oregon, Washington and North Dakota to gain a better understanding of U.S. wheat breeding, production, handling and marketing systems. Japan typically accounts for 10% of all U.S. wheat imports.

The four team members, all of whom are involved in flour production and quality control for their respective companies, will also gain firsthand knowledge of this year’s soft white (SW), hard red spring (HRS) and durum wheat crops. 

“These team visits reinforce the strong relationship between Japanese millers and U.S. wheat farmers,” said USW Japan County Director Wataru “Charlie” Utsunomiya, who will accompany the team. “It is important to help mid-level managers, who will eventually have full responsibility for production and evaluating inputs, gain insight and perspective into U.S. wheat’s consistently high quality, reliability and value.” 

USW worked with the Oregon Wheat Commission, Washington Grain Commission and North Dakota Wheat Commission to organize this year’s team in addition to collaborating with other industry organizations.   

This team was planned far in advance of the discovery of volunteer wheat plants with an unapproved genetically modified (GM) trait in a single field in Oregon and Japan’s government suspension of new tenders for Western White, a sub-class of soft white wheat. 

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, which purchases imported wheat, resumed tenders for Western White wheat in late July, thanks in part to USW, the U.S. commercial grain trade, state wheat organizations and wheat farmers helping identify and share the most accurate information from the ongoing APHIS investigation to buyers, government agencies and end users.