The U.S. Wheat Associates Board of Directors seated new officers at its recent annual meeting in Seattle, Washington. USW is the export market development organization representing U.S. wheat farmers.
USW officers for 2018/19 are: Chairman Chris Kolstad of Ledger, Montana; Vice Chairman Doug Goyings of Paulding, Ohio; Secretary-Treasurer Darren Padget of Grass Valley, Oregon; and Past Chairman Mike Miller of Ritzville, Washington. USW officers were elected to these one-year positions at the February 2018 board of directors meeting in Washington, D.C.
The directors also welcomed members of the Philippine Association of Flour Millers as special guests at their meeting. Executive Director Ricardo Pinca presented information about the potential threat from Turkish flour imports. Several years ago, the association proved to their government that Turkish companies were dumping flour into the Philippines that created a “material threat” to their business. That threat extended to U.S. wheat sales because Philippines millers import more than 95 percent of their commodity from the United States. Duties were imposed on Turkish flour but they will expire in 2019, so Pinca explained how USW and local millers can work together to fight the future risk of continued dumping.
