2025 Crop Quality Seminars: Taking U.S. Wheat to the Global Stage

While the post-harvest season offers a brief reprieve on the farm, the work to market your crop around the world is just hitting its stride. For decades, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) has hosted Crop Quality Seminars in key global regions to showcase the value of the current year’s harvest. These seminars are a cornerstone of international marketing, ensuring that U.S. wheat remains the preferred choice in an increasingly competitive global market.

In the fall of 2025, USW hosted 37 crop quality seminars for over 1,500 participants across 45 countries. While the core of the event is technical data—ranging from milling and dough quality to baking performance—the seminars also provide a platform to share the story of U.S. farming practices and provide production and price outlooks.

Three North Dakota representatives participated in the seminars this year, bringing technical expertise and the "real-life" story of our state’s wheat production to buyers across Asia and Europe.

The Technical Edge: Dr. Shahidul Islam

Dr. Shahidul Islam, Assistant Professor of Wheat Quality at NDSU, traveled to Southeast Asia. His lab conducts the foundational analysis for our HRS quality reports, and his technical expertise is invaluable. For example, with this year’s lower vitreous kernel crop he was able to address questions about the impact of that factor on end-use traits, among other technical questions.

“The seminars are an effective platform to educate end users on our methodology and discuss how findings can be translated into practical milling and baking strategies,” says Dr. Islam. “I was able to address many technical questions that have significant impacts on end-use quality, leading to a very productive exchange of information.”

The Producer’s Story: Mark Birdsall

In Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China, NDWC Chairman Mark Birdsall, shared his family’s farming story. His presentation on production practices and the effort required to produce high-quality wheat resonated deeply with customers who value the "face-to-face" relationship.

“It is very apparent that relationship building is still the key to successful trade,” Birdsall noted. “The markets I visited are long-standing customers of U.S. wheat, built through decades of market development work. Customers enjoy seeing the real-life story of how the wheat they purchase is produced on rural, family-run farms.”

A Diverse Market: Erica Olson

Erica Olson, NDWC Director of Marketing and Research, joined the European seminars. While the total overall wheat export volume to Europe is smaller than other regions, it remains a vital, high-value market for HRS and Durum.

“In this region, the discussion is incredibly diverse,” says Olson. “Beyond quality data, customers are looking for insights on varietal trends, price outlooks, and trade. These conversations help both the producer and the customer understand the full picture so everyone can make informed decisions.”

The Bottom Line

These seminars do more than just share data; they help strengthen global relationships by combining the hard science with firsthand insight into wheat production and farming practices. By proving our quality year after year, we ensure that when the world looks for premium wheat, they look to our producers first.