Good News: Japan Resumes All U.S. Wheat Purchases

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced Tuesday that it will resume tenders this week for new purchases of U.S. Western White and soft white wheat. Japan had been out of the market since late May when the genetically modified wheat had been discovered in a single field in Oregon.
That is great news for Pacific Northwest wheat growers as Washington Grain Commission CEO Glen Squires says
Squires: “Well we certainly are appreciative. It is great, great news that Japan has returned to purchasing Western White wheat and soft white wheat from the Pacific Northwest. They’ve been out of the market for a couple of months and it is good to have them back in the market.”
Japan’s announcement comes as a result of sustained efforts by the wheat industry, USDA and many others in providing the information MAFF needed to resume buying U.S. Western White and soft white wheat as Squires explains. ??Squires: “There has been a great deal of effort to help get Japan to the position where they could feel comfortable in tendering again. The industries worked well together in helping to ensure that Japan has protocols, testing ability -- whatever they need in order to be comfortable importing.”
Squires adds that the industry still awaits the conclusion of APHIS investigation. ?