Kansas Farmer Visits Taiwan with USW Board Team

USW Board Team Learns How U.S. Wheat Powers Taiwan’s Milling and Baking Industries

U.S. wheat farmers got a firsthand look at one of their most loyal export markets during a recent U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) board team visit to Taiwan. The trip highlighted how decades of market development continue to pay off, with U.S. wheat holding more than 80% of Taiwan’s milling imports.

The team, which included Kansas farmer Chris Tanner, toured the Taipei International Baking Show and met with millers, bakers and industry leaders who rely on U.S. wheat for a wide range of products. From mouth-watering, custard-filled cakes to premium premixes for Taiwanese pancakes, each brightly colored and carefully displayed product contained U.S. wheat.

Taiwan is geographically small but home to more than 23 million people and imports about 1.0 million metric tons of wheat annually through the Taiwan Flour Mills Association. U.S. hard red winter, hard red spring and soft white wheat are shipped together as combination cargo, reinforcing the importance of consistency and reliability across classes.

The strength of that relationship was evident throughout the visit. Taiwan flour millers, bakers and consumers clearly have positive regard for American farmers and the wheat they produce, supported by decades of cooperation, training and quality assurance.

At the Taipei International Baking Show, that demand was on full display. The event drew massive crowds and highlighted how deeply wheat is embedded in Taiwan’s food culture, from everyday staples to premium bakery items.

The team also toured Lien Hwa Milling Corporation, the largest milling company in Taiwan, where they saw firsthand how automation and real-time quality monitoring are being used to maintain flour consistency and improve efficiency.

“They celebrate baking here in this country, and it’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before,” Montana farmer Nathan Keane said. “Here’s a bakery show that brings in 160,000 people. We can’t do that for any kind of trade show in the United States, let alone for wheat. It’s incredible to see that.”

Beyond the numbers, the visit reinforced the importance of personal connections in export markets.

“Being there, I was continually blown away in a foreign nation as a wheat farmer,” Kansas farmer Chris Tanner said. “Trade is important, and we have to make sure that we treat our customers right overseas. As policy changes daily, the long-term relationships and making sure our customers around the globe get the wheat they need is the broader message.”

As global markets shift, the experience underscored a simple takeaway: maintaining trust, quality and relationships remains critical to keeping U.S. wheat competitive around the world.

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Written by Julia Debes for USW