Philippine Wheat Team Visits North Dakota
by ND Wheat Posted on 8/8/2012
Marketing team to visit the U.S. to learn more about the U.S. wheat industry and discuss activities to promote wheat consumption.
A group of flour milling and food industry marketing executives from the Philippines will be in North Dakota August 8-10 to learn about new crop hard red spring wheat (HRS) prospects and activities and programs that promote wheat consumption in the U.S.
The Philippines is the second largest export market for HRS, with annual average purchases of 33 million bushels. The 2011-12 marketing year was a particularly strong export year with the Philippines purchasing 44 million bushels of HRS and 76 million bushels of total U.S. wheat, the highest in 15 years. The U.S. supplies the majority of the country's food wheat needs with a 97 percent market share last year.
While the Asian region is a long standing market with growing demand, there are challenges in the Philippines. "Per capita wheat growth has increased steadily in other South Asian countries, but has remained flat in the Philippines. These executives are members of a marketing committee formed to help Philippine millers and bakers increase demand for their products," said Joe Sowers, U.S. Wheat Associates assistant regional director for South Asia. "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."
While in the state, the team will be meeting with HRS breeding and quality researchers from North Dakota State University as well as a nutrition expert. The team will be able to see samples of the 2012 HRS crop and receive a quality and supply and demand update. The group will also visit the Northern Crops Institute to receive information on their educational programs and a tour of the facilities. After departing North Dakota, the team will make visits to Minnesota, Montana and Oregon.
The team will be accompanied by Joe Sowers, U.S. Wheat Associates assistant regional director for South Asia. U.S. Wheat Associates works to maintain and improve export market opportunities for North Dakota wheat farmers and producers in 18 other states with support from the farmers themselves through a per bushel checkoff.
