3103 10th Street, North  Suite 300  Arlington, VA 22201
Tel: (202) 463-0999 Fax: (703) 524-4399
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: June 11, 2012
Contact: Steve Mercer, Director of Communications, U.S. Wheat Associates, (703) 650-0251, smercer@uswheat.org
ARLINGTON, Virginia -- A team of Spanish and Italian flour milling executives will visit the
United States June 17 to 23 to learn more about the U.S. spring wheat, durum and soft red winter
(SRW) wheat crops and the U.S. marketing system. U.S Wheat Associates (USW) is sponsoring
this trade team with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural
Service, state wheat commissions in North Dakota, Minnesota and Ohio, and private exporters.
“The United States and Canada compete in European spring and durum markets like Spain and
Italy,” said Goris van Lit, USW European regional director. “These millers hope to learn more
about what changes might happen after the Canadian Wheat Board loses its marketing monopoly
on August 1. In Ohio, the Spanish millers will learn more about the new soft red winter crop
from farmers and the grain trade.”
Starting at the Northern Crops Institute in Fargo, ND, the team will hear about hard red spring
(HRS) quality trends, North Dakota State University (NDSU) breeding programs and get an
outlook for the 2012/13 HRS and durum crops. NDSU Agricultural Economics Professor Dr.
William Wilson will review the status of advanced research in wheat, including biotechnology,
before the millers visit a wheat farmer, flour mill and a commercial bakery in the state. In
Duluth, MN, the team will meet with private grain exporters and tour an export elevator then
travel to Minneapolis for a visit to Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX). In northwest Ohio, the
millers will get the chance to see a SRW crop only days before harvest and meet with local grain
handlers and flour millers.
The trade team is timed well to a growing sales opportunity in Europe for U.S. wheat farmers.
Bread wheat production in Europe will be down significantly this year because of frost damage
and dry conditions. Rainfall in Spain since late 2011 is well below normal and durum production
there will likely fall by 60 percent compared to last year.
“We want to demonstrate to these executives that the United States has a reliable supply chain
for the high quality wheat and durum they need,” said van Lit. “They get to see that they can
trust the products, the people and organizations that USW represents.”
USW is the industry’s market development organization working in more than 100 countries. Its
mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance the profitability of
U.S. wheat producers.” The activities of USW are made possible by producer checkoff dollars
managed by 19 state wheat commissions and through cost-share funding provided by USDA’s
Foreign Agricultural Service. For more information, visit www.uswheat.org or contact your state
wheat commission.
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3103 10th Street, North  Suite 300  Arlington, VA 22201
Tel: (202) 463-0999 Fax: (703) 524-4399
2012 European Trade Team - Team Members
Emilio Esteban
Owner and General Manager, Emilio Esteban S.A., Spain
Jesus Esteban
General Manager, Emilio Esteban S.A., Spain
Esteban Fernandez Vasallo
General Manager, Esteban Fernandez Ramos E H S.A., Spain
Mr. Victor Galindo
Manager, Harinera Castellana S.A., Spain
Juan Carbajo
Molinos del Duero y Compania General de Harinas S.L., Spain
Alberto Figna
Manager, Agugiaro & Figna Molini S.p.A., Italy
Goris van Lit
Regional Director, Europe, U.S. Wheat Associates, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Heydi Langbroek
Assistant Program Manager, U.S. Wheat Associates, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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3103 10th Street, North  Suite 300  Arlington, VA 22201
Tel: (202) 463-0999 Fax: (703) 524-4399
Connecting Buyers and Sellers is Effective in Competitive EU Wheat Markets
The USW European regional office in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, is responsible for carrying
out activities in all countries of the European continent, Israel and the former Soviet Union. The
region includes a sub-office in Moscow, Russia.
Despite several record wheat crops over the past five years, Western Europe is a growing market
for imported high protein spring wheat for blending and improving local crop milling and baking
quality; and for durum wheat for both quality and quantity purposes. The internally and
internationally negotiated rollback of EU domestic subsidy support programs allows imported
wheat to compete more easily on a price basis. This trend will continue through already
negotiated and future changes in the EU Common Agricultural Policy and in the World Trade
Organization.
Competition, especially with the Canadian Wheat Board, has always been fierce for this high
quality wheat and durum cash market. The strategy to meet the competition with other exporters
begins each crop year with the timely dissemination of information about U.S. wheat classes.
Activities also demonstrate by example the competitive advantages of the U.S. marketing
system.
USW works directly with EU end-users and importers to help them deepen commercial links
with U.S. export companies during activities in Europe and by facilitating visits to the United
States, including through trade teams like the one taking place this month. Active membership in
regional and international trade and industry organizations is also important to link prospective
wheat buyers to the right exporters.
USW programs like the Overseas Varietal Analysis (OVA) help assure that new varieties
correspond well to EU quality requirements. Under OVA, international millers and bakers test
new varieties and state wheat commissions use the results to develop recommended variety lists
for farmers and set quality targets for U.S. wheat breeders, leading to increased demand for U.S.
wheat.
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3103 10th Street, North  Suite 300  Arlington, VA 22201
Tel: (202) 463-0999 Fax: (703) 524-4399
U.S. Wheat Sales to Europe by Class
All-Europe
Europe
Albania, Baltics Region, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Caucasus Region, Central Asian Region, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, European
Union, FSU European Region, Hungary, Israel, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Uzbekistan,
Yugoslavia
1,000 Metric Tons
Crop Year
(June - May)
HRW
SRW
HRS
White
Durum
Total
2011/12
266.9
517.5
351.3
1.3
289.7
1,426.7
2010/11
447.9
91.7
790.5
0.0
464.0
1,794.1
2009/10
174.2
0.0
224.9
0.0
381.2
780.3
2008/09
369.4
77.6
586.8
0.3
287.3
1,321.4
2007/08
262.9
133.7
1,285.9
0.0
544.8
2,227.2
2006/07
152.0
44.5
439.5
2.1
276.2
914.2
2005/06
306.2
0.0
1,159.1
0.0
332.5
1,797.8
2004/05
509.4
17.0
1,348.2
0.0
262.2
2,137.0
2003/04
1,242.1
243.8
1,497.4
0.0
343.9
3,327.2
2002/03
386.0
16.0
952.2
14.0
302.0
1,672.2
Data current through May 24th, 2011
Source: USDA - FAS - Weekly Export Sales Report
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3103 10th Street, North  Suite 300  Arlington, VA 22201
Tel: (202) 463-0999 Fax: (703) 524-4399
Spain
Europe
1,000 Metric Tons
Crop Year
(June - May)
HRW
SRW
HRS
White
Durum
Total
2011/12
0.0
439.1
95.7
0.0
0.0
534.8
2010/11
0.0
26.2
258.5
0.0
19.5
304.2
2009/10
0.0
0.0
134.8
0.0
0.0
134.8
2008/09
0.0
59.5
304.3
0.0
0.0
363.8
2007/08
0.0
97.9
572.5
0.0
13.2
683.6
2006/07
0.0
44.5
74.1
0.0
0.0
118.5
2005/06
0.0
0.0
420.9
0.0
26.8
447.7
Data current through May 24th, 2011
Source: USDA - FAS - Weekly Export Sales Report
Italy
Europe
1,000 Metric Tons
Crop Year
(June - May)
HRW
SRW
HRS
White
Durum
Total
2011/12
0.0
54.5
94.9
0.0
246.5
395.9
2010/11
7.9
46.5
298.8
0.0
362.3
715.6
2009/10
0.0
0.0
24.5
0.0
339.9
364.3
2008/09
0.0
0.0
101.4
0.0
280.7
382.1
2007/08
0.0
11.5
236.0
0.0
411.2
658.7
2006/07
0.0
0.0
262.1
0.0
273.5
535.7
2005/06
0.0
0.0
462.1
0.0
285.6
747.7
Data current through May 24th, 2011
Source: USDA - FAS - Weekly Export Sales Report
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