U.S. Wheat Associates Chairman talks China
Farm and Ranch December 6, 2011 Earlier this fall U.S. Wheat Associates sponsored a visit to the U.S. for a team of executives from a Chinese grain trading company. It was to help the executives gain an understanding of the U.S. wheat handling and export system. Among the stops the Chinese team made in the Pacific Northwest was one at U.S. Wheat Associates Chairman Randy Suess’ farm in Whitman County Washington. Suess acknowledges that China has not yet become the market U.S. growers hoped it would be. Suess: “It is always that one that we always hoped would be much bigger than it is. And of course if you a corn and soybean guy you are really realizing that right now because they are bringing in a lot of corn and soybeans. And we think that wheat possibly could be just around the corner too. There is still a pretty good sized wheat growing region in China but it is still relatively small farms compared to the United States and they don‘t have the production capacity that we do.” China has imported more than 11 million bushels of U.S. wheat this marketing year, including 2.6 million of soft white. U.S. Wheat Associates says that overall that is double what China imported the previous marketing year and more than it imported in 2009-2010. Suess says the executives on the recent visit here seemed to be from the upcoming generation of leaders and he took it as a good sign that they were willing to take the time to come and learn about the U.S. wheat industry. One particular interest the visiting Chinese had was getting grain shipped by container. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net. ? ?
