From left, Shin Hak "David" Oh, food and bakery technologist, and Dong-Chan Bae, director of the U.S. Wheat Associates South Korea office in Seoul, celebrate the 50th anniversary of U.S. Wheat's office in Seoul with Casey Chumrau, executive director of the Washington Grain Commission; Clark Hamilton, Idaho Wheat Commission member and Darren Padget, Oregon Wheat Commission member.

Casey Chumrau estimates she’s traveled about 30% of her time since she joined the Washington Grain Commission as CEO last fall.

“I’ve been very fortunate already to go to South America twice, Asia once — I have three more trips on the books for Asia,” she said.

Chumrau said the commission has given her the directive that market development is the top priority.

“Within the first year, I will have many opportunities to meet our most important customers, to start building those relationships, to hear what the concerns are, what the trends are, what we can be doing to help those customers,” she said.

Chumrau’s busy schedule may look familiar to other Northwest and U.S. wheat leaders traveling to meet with customers on behalf of growers.

U.S. Wheat’s schedule includes about seven formal customer events overseas, 17 trade teams visiting the U.S. and 20 to 30 crop quality seminars, said Steve Mercer, vice president of communications and Catherine Miller, director of programs. 

“It’s, in a way, the year of the conference,” Mercer said. That’s because funding is available through the Agricultural Trade Promotion program, slated to end in 2024, he said.

The Washington commission is hosting seven trade teams so far this summer, from countries representing more more than half of the soft white wheat export market last year.

Chumrau and Britany Hurst Marchant, executive director of the Idaho Wheat Commission, recently attended U.S. Wheat Associates’ South and Southeast Asian Marketing Conference. On her way back from the Asia/Southeast Asia conference, Chumrau stopped in South Korea to celebrate U.S. Wheat’s 50th anniversary in Seoul.

“That was really cool,” she said. “There were 50 to 60 participants representing the entire supply chain.”

She also delivered an in-person crop update in Japan, and met with top milling companies. The commission will provide another update about club wheat in Japan in July. 

Chumrau has another U.S. conference in August that includes customers in Japan, Thailand and South Korea.

Hurst Marchant will also attend that conference, and the Latin America/Caribbean Buyers Marketing Conference.

Five trade teams are scheduled for Idaho, from South and Southeast Asia, South America and Mexico.

Face-to-face interaction is highly valued in Asia and South America, Hurst Marchant said.

“You trust people that you know,” she said. “Being able to bring those trade teams to Idaho or to meet with millers, bakers and end-users on their own turf really keeps those relationships viable. It’s really essential to have personal interactions.”

Amanda Hoey, Oregon Wheat CEO, will attend the North American Marketing/Buyers Conference, Latin America/Caribbean Buyers Conference and a food aid conference.

Oregon will host more than seven trade teams, roughly one a week, Hoey said, representing Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and the Philippines.

“The success of our millers and bakers translates to success for Oregon wheat producers as well,” Hoey said. “We have a great deal of wheat supply from a strong 2022 crop and the higher prices have depressed sales, but many of our key customers continue to work with us, partly due to the consistency we can provide.”

While in Thailand, Chumrau met with millers from the Philippines, the No. 1 market for soft white wheat. She hopes to travel there, too, to get an update on their facilities and hear their goals.

Any other places Chumrau hopes to go?

“All of them,” she said. “Just to continue getting to know all of these customers up and down the line is very important.”