As U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) President Vince Peterson often says, at any given hour of the day there is someone, somewhere, talking about the quality, reliability and value of U.S. wheat. Here are just some of the ways USW was working in June and July to promote all six classes of U.S. wheat in an ever more complex world grain market.
USW Beijing Builds Online Resources
Pandemic restrictions to movement and gatherings continue in the People’s Republic of China and have compelled a greater reliance on remote delivery systems. USW Beijing now offers a suite of regular programming made up of translations from the USW Price Report, Crop Updates and monthly Supply and Demand presentations. By adapting as many materials as possible to deliver remotely or online, USW Beijing is able to keep USW technical support, trade service, and U.S. wheat quality information flowing to China’s flour millers.
Better Wheat…Better Ramen. USW and the Wheat Marketing Center (WMC) held a Noodle Workshop for Korean manufacturers in June to test several blends of U.S. wheat flour for ramen noodle production. Here the participants are observing ramen on the WMC pilot
USW Seoul Sent Noodle Makers to Wheat Marketing Center
In June, USW Seoul conducted a Noodle Flour Development Short Course with the expert staff at the Wheat Marketing Center (WMC) in Portland, Ore. The team included noodle processors and milling quality specialists from Korea. They made 34 distinct types of general ramen and non-fried ramen noodles using various blends of U.S. wheat and Australian wheat flour. As a result of the general ramen test, these customers concluded that U.S. flour could be increased in a blend with Australian flour and maintain acceptable appearance and texture. In addition, the course participants identified that adding U.S. hard red spring (HRS) flour improved the hardness of stir-type noodles.
USW Mexico City Technical Support
USW Mexico City Director of Technical Services Marcelo Mitre and consultant Juan Manuel Tiznado conducted a cookie seminar in June for processing staff at a large Mexican manufacturing plant. The seminar helped demonstrate improvements in processing and end-product quality, including improved outcomes using U.S. soft red winter (SRW) and soft white (SW) wheat flour. Mitre and Tiznado identified several modifications, and they will continue working with the manufacturer to monitor progress and the customer’s satisfaction with those improvements.
Chung and Goh Teach Baking
In July, USW Singapore held the 42nd Baking Science and Technology Course (BSTC) in conjunction with the UFM Baking and Cooking School in Bangkok, Thailand. Noted USW Bakery Consultant Roy Chung and USW Biscuit/Bakery and Noodle Technologist Ivan Goh were the principal lecturers. This six-week course features ingredient functionality, bread and cake processing, and sections on flour specification and quality evaluation. USW Manila Baking Technician Ady Redondo participated in the course and received the second highest overall score among 19 students. Those participants now understand more about how U.S. wheat classes provide superior functionality for the most popular wheat-based foods in their markets.
USW Santiago Brings U.S. Harvest to Customers
A benefit to both USW and its customers from pandemic travel restrictions is the ability to reach a lot more customers in a single online activity. In June, USW Santiago was able to share a detailed, up-to-date look at the 2022/23 U.S. hard red winter (HRW) and SRW crops then being harvested to 138 customers from 85 different companies in the South American region. Justin Gilpin, CEO, Kansas Wheat Commission reported on the progress and quality of the HRW crop while wheat farmer and a past USW Chairman Jason Scott representing the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board gave the SRW update. USW Santiago reports that there was active participation in the question-and-answer session and that those customers now have added confidence that these crops will offer excellent flour and functional characteristics.
These are just a few of the ways that U.S. Wheat Associates, the industry’s export market development organization, works with wheat buyers, millers, bakers, food processors and government officials in more than 100 countries around the world to promote the reliability, quality and value of all six U.S. wheat classes.
