USW Leader Talks Global Strategy on Wheat’s On Your Mind Podcast

From Portland to Cairo to Manila to Singapore and back again, one absolute has held true throughout USW President and CEO Mike Spier’s career – relationships matter when it comes to making trade last. Spier recently sat down with Kansas Wheat CEO Justin Gilpin and host Aaron Harries on the “Wheat’s On Your Mind” podcast to discuss the lessons he’s learned on his journey to serving as a top leader on trade for the U.S. wheat industry and what’s driving the current state of the industry.

During the episode, the trio analyzed the factors driving stronger wheat exports this marketing year, where Kansas-grown U.S. hard red winter (HRW) wheat is gaining ground and the importance of having a diverse list of world wheat buyers.

“When you’re looking at increased sales, at the same time, there’s a significant increase in competition among the major exporters around the world,” Spier said, noting the record or near-record harvests in Argentina, Canada, Australia and Russia. “So with this intense increased competition we have, we’re still seeing significant U.S. wheat exports. That just demonstrates the value that buyers around the world see in U.S. HRW wheat and the other classes of U.S. wheat.”

Exports reflect coordinated industry efforts—providing buyers with quality and supply information, supporting education on grain purchasing and milling and advocating for USDA programs that support USW’s demand-building efforts.

“That’s where we work well together with Kansas Wheat, the other state wheat commissions, and the IGP Institute,” Spier noted. “All our activities combined are keeping U.S. wheat in the front of the buyer’s mind, even when there are a lot more options out there.”

The conversation also delved into the complexities of tariffs, logistics, sustainability and emerging markets. Spier also emphasized the lasting impact that farmers like Gary Millershaski, Kansas wheat farmer currently serving as USW Vice-Chairman, have on overseas buyers.

“As USW staff, we can talk about situations going on in the United States, but when a customer hears it directly from a farmer, it has a lot of impact,” Spier said. “Hearing from farmers like Gary about how issues like low wheat prices aren’t beneficial for wheat farmers, especially when input costs are higher, is a message that is really well delivered by a farmer rather than a USW staff member.”

Looking ahead, the trio highlighted U.S. Wheat’s upcoming anniversary celebrations in mid-April for the USW Taipei Office’s 60th and USW Tokyo Office’s 70th anniversaries.

“U.S. Wheat has built a lot of strong relationships over our organization’s history, and that is the foundation of our organization,” Spier said. “Another top priority is to continue to look for ways to increase exports and U.S. wheat market share in key importing regions.”

Listen to the full episode of “Wheat’s On Your Mind” at wheatsonyourmind.com.