Every year, valued customers of U.S. wheat come from around the world during harvest to learn about the current year’s crop and gain firsthand insight into the supply chain through which wheat flows from the field to overseas customers. In mid-August, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) organized the annual Nisshin Crop Quality Survey Team from Japan to visit the Pacific Northwest, with support from the Washington Grain Commission and the Oregon Wheat Commission. The team included representatives with experience in quality control, baking, cereal science and milling, each bringing a range of technical perspectives to the visit.

The mission’s purpose was to give the team a firsthand look at the 2026 wheat crop and the people, facilities and systems that support the wheat movement from farm to market. Over several days in Washington, the team visited farms and spoke with growers, elevators and even had the chance to see the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Western Wheat Quality Laboratory in Pullman, where members learned more about wheat quality testing and research. The Washington visits gave them a closer look at this year’s harvest conditions and the inland transportation and handling process across important Pacific Northwest growing areas.

Following the visit to Washington, the team arrived in Portland, Oregon, to finish the trade mission. Briefings with the Wheat Marketing Center and U.S. Wheat provided both a market and technical overview, while visits to an export terminal and the Overseas Merchandise Inspection Company (OMIC) highlighted the export logistics and inspection systems that ensure all wheat is inspected and loaded to meet contract specifications.

For Japanese millers and food companies, that consistency is of utmost importance. Walking through each step of the supply chain helps reinforce confidence in both the product and people behind it.

“Coming from a fourth-generation family farm I’ve seen firsthand how much work goes into growing high-quality wheat every year,” said Kate Stephens, assistant director of the USW West Coast office. “Accompanying this team has opened my eyes to how ultimately, we share the same goal: producing the best possible product, whether it’s happening on our farms or inside a Japanese mill.”

Welcoming teams like Nisshin gives customers the chance to see the full value of U.S. wheat in person. For the U.S. wheat industry, it is also an opportunity to better understand what customers need from farmers, researchers, exporters and technical experts who are serving to better the wheat industry. Those connections are what help maintain strong overseas markets and continue building trust in U.S. wheat.