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South American wheat millers visit Ohio for U.S. Wheat Associates industry tour

Photo by Brownfield’s Erin Anderson.

A northeast Ohio farmer says a recent South American trade mission was an opportunity to grow demand for Ohio wheat. 

Owen Niese hosted the program on his farm and says face to face interactions helps develop trade relationships between the two countries. 

“It adds a layer of trust,” he says. “It adds an extra layer of connectivity where they get to see the crop that they’ll hopefully buy, and they can see that these are real people. These are normal people raising the crop that is going to turn into food. You don’t get that connection without them coming here.”

Claudia Gomez, regional marketing manager for the U.S. Wheat Associates in Santiago, Chile, says the visitors represented 80% of U.S. wheat purchases from five different countries.

“Our mission with this activity is that people better understand how the U.S. system is working, how it’s produced, and how the commissions are working to promote US wheat,” she says.

The U.S. Wheat Associates’ 2025 Wheat Tour brings industry leaders to the United States to visit various sectors of the wheat industry across Ohio, Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado.

AUDIO: Owen Niese, Richland County farmer

AUDIO: Claudia Gomez, U.S. Wheat Associates