Wheat Team from the Philippines Visits ND

| 8/8/2012

A marketing team visiting the United States from the Philippines will be in North Dakota for a couple of days to learn more about wheat. The group of flour milling and food industry marketing executives will be in the state from August 8-10 to learn about hard red spring wheat as well as activities and programs to promote wheat consumption.

With an annual average purchase of 33 million bushels, the Philippines is the second largest export market for hard red spring wheat. Last year was the highest in 15 years with the country purchasing 44 million bushels of hard red spring wheat and 76 million bushels of total U.S. wheat. The U.S. makes up 97 percent of the country`s wheat market.

"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."

The group will also visit Minnesota, Montana and Oregon.

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