January 14, 2005

U.S. Wheat Industry Seeking to Regain Markets

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) leaders have plans to visit wheat millers in Cuba next month, and are also trying to regain market entry into other countries such as Vietnam, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, and North Korea.

Dawn Forsythe, USW spokesperson, said since 1999, the U.S. has made some inroads in opening back up some lost markets.

Perhaps the most frustrating market is Iraq, where U.S. wheat has entered the country under a humanitarian aid program, 56,000 tons of hard red winter wheat, but the Iraqi grain board has yet to purchase any U.S. wheat.

After a 40-year sanction was eased three years ago, Cuba has purchased nearly 1.0 million tons of U.S. wheat.