Vice Chairwoman of the NWB Travels to Asia for Trade Mission

LINCOLN, NE – Nebraska Wheat Board (NWB) Vice Chairwoman Mary Eisenzimmer traveled to Asia July 26–30 as part of a trade mission with Governor Jim Pillen and representatives from other Nebraska agricultural organizations. The mission was designed to strengthen relationships with key international customers while creating new opportunities for Nebraska’s agriculture industry. Throughout the week, Eisenzimmer met with industry leaders, government officials and end users in Japan and the Philippines to discuss trade, wheat quality and future export opportunities.

The delegation’s first stop was Japan, where Eisenzimmer toured Kinki Flour Milling Company in Osaka alongside representatives from the U.S. Wheat Associates and Governor Jim Pillen to learn more about the company’s milling process. She also met with Rick Nakano of the U.S. Wheat Associates Tokyo office to discuss opportunities to expand Nebraska wheat exports to Japan while strengthening existing trade relationships.

For Eisenzimmer, the opportunity to meet directly with Japanese millers underscored the importance of maintaining strong relationships with one of America’s largest wheat customers.

“Japan is the third-largest importer of U.S. wheat, and it’s important for them to import several different classes of wheat. It was an incredible opportunity to talk firsthand with end users of our wheat products.” Eisenzimmer said.

The second leg of the trade mission took the delegation to the Philippines, where they met with executives at Gardenia Bakeries, the country’s largest bread manufacturer, to promote the quality and value of Nebraska wheat. Eisenzimmer also connected with grain buyers from San Miguel Corporation, one of the country’s largest food distributors.

“San Miguel is the primary food distributor in the country. They purchase wheat from the U.S. and retail flour to grocery stores and bakeries. They are very interested in purchasing more hard red winter wheat because breads and noodles are a daily staple in the Filipino diet.” Eisenzimmer said.

While in Manila, Eisenzimmer also toured the U.S. Embassy and met with newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton and members of his cabinet to discuss the country’s economy and future trade opportunities.

The following day, the delegation attended the World Food Expo, where they participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the new USDA booth.

The Philippines is the second-largest export market for U.S. wheat, purchasing an average of $783 million in American wheat each year. Maintaining a Nebraska presence in this important market helps build relationships with potential buyers while strengthening connections with wheat and flour milling professionals.

Each stop on the trade mission provided valuable opportunities to strengthen partnerships between American, Japanese and Filipino agricultural leaders. These experiences deepen international understanding of Nebraska’s wheat industry and reinforce the state’s commitment to providing a reliable, high-quality wheat supply to customers around the world.

Looking back on the mission, Eisenzimmer said the relationships formed throughout the week reinforced the value of face-to-face engagement with international customers.

“Various representatives on the trade delegation met with different people to discuss trade opportunities, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with end-product consumers and build stronger relationships with them. What stuck with me most was hearing that they prefer wheat from the U.S. over wheat from other countries because of its high quality and protein content.” Eisenzimmer said.

She said those conversations also provided valuable insight into the global importance of U.S. agriculture.

“It was an eye-opening experience to speak with millers and grain merchandisers at that level and learn how heavily the Philippines relies on U.S. agriculture for food security. This mission, and trips like this, are important because they allow us to see firsthand how commodity boards and U.S. agriculture influence the global marketplace.” Eisenzimmer said.

The NWB invests wheat checkoff dollars in international market development efforts such as trade missions like this one. These visits strengthen relationships with international industry professionals, showcase the quality and reliability of Nebraska wheat, and help ensure the state’s producers remain competitive in the global marketplace.

The Nebraska Wheat Board administers the wheat checkoff at 0.5% of net value of wheat marketed in Nebraska at the point of first sale. The board invests the funds into programs of international and domestic market development, policy development, research, promotion and education.

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