ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, U.S. — U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) released on Oct. 14 its 2009-10 Annual Report covering worldwide marketing activities and developments from June 2009 through May 2010 for all six classes of U.S. wheat. This year's report includes supply and demand reviews and features on Nigeria, Japan and Egypt.

The report notes that 2009-10 offered two distinct perspectives. U.S. wheat sales declined under abundant global supplies and aggressive competition. Yet the year also yielded evidence that U.S. wheat producers receive an excellent return on their investment in market development, demonstrated by results of a study showing they received $23 in net revenue from every $1 they invested in wheat export promotion between 2000 and 2007.

"Throughout 2009-10, USW worked with state wheat commissions and other partners to foster closer ties between buyers, wheat producers, and the entire supply chain," USW President Alan Tracy wrote in the report. "As a result, we saw a 15% sales increase in ten countries, including Nigeria and Japan. We also see a huge projected increase for 2010-11 as Black Sea exporters prove their unreliability."

In spite of lower sales, the U.S. remained the world’s leading wheat exporter in 2009-10. The report said that is a testament to America farm family efficiency and their global reputation as reliable suppliers of high quality milling wheat and durum, something producer-funded USW never takes for granted.

USW 2009-10 Chair Janice Mattson, Chester, Montana, U.S., also wrote in the report that "with trade policy issues becoming more important, I am very pleased that USW and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) have such a strong collaboration. Together with NAWG and its new CEO, Dana Peterson, we look forward to meeting wheat industry challenges."

The USW 2009-10 Annual Report will soon appear in several U.S. publications covering the wheat production industry, and is posted on the USW Web site at