You are here: / USW Announcements
thumbnail

Bakery Technician Sam Yap Joins U.S. Wheat Associates in Southeast Asia

SINGAPORE — U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) announces a new addition to its team in its regional Singapore Office. Sam Yap joins the organization this month as a bakery technician with a regional focus in South and Southeast Asia.

“We are excited to welcome a talented baker with valuable industry experience and insight to support customers in markets where demand for high-quality U.S. wheat continues to grow,” said Joe Sowers, USW Regional Vice President for South and Southeast Asia. “USW has a strong legacy of dependable technical service in this region led by Roy Chung. With Roy as their mentor, Sam joins Ivan Goh and Adrian Redondo in carrying on that exceptional work into the future.”

“I am excited to join the U.S. Wheat Associates team and use my skills and experience to support the increasing demand for high-quality U.S. wheat in South and Southeast Asia,” said Yap.

Portrait of Sam Yap, USW Bakery Technician

Sam Yap, Bakery Technician, U.S. Wheat Associates.

Head Baker

Nearly a decade of experience in high-end bakeries and hotels equips Yap to have an immediate impact on the region. Most recently, he spent five years at Keong Saik Bakery in Singapore, a leading traditional Chinese bakery. As head baker of the bread team, Yap was involved in all aspects of bakery production and management—experience that will help him relate to and understand the needs of U.S. wheat customers.

Yap has a diploma in culinary skills from SHATEC – Singapore and is currently working toward a diploma in applied science focused on nutrition and food science at Republic Polytechnic. In addition, Yap has completed several courses and certifications across South Asia, further developing his skills and knowledge of breads, pastries, baking with kefir probiotics, and more. In addition to his professional experience, Yap is fluent in Mandarin, Bahasa, and English.

South and Southeast Asian Wheat Exports

Major wheat markets in USW’s South and Southeast Asian region include the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. At the end of the 2023/24 marketing year, U.S. wheat commercial sales to the region totaled 4.5 million metric tons of hard red spring, soft white, hard red winter, and soft red winter wheat, representing 24% of total U.S. commercial sales.

U.S. Wheat Associates’ (USW) mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers.” USW activities in more than 100 countries are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. USW maintains 15 offices strategically located around the world to help wheat buyers, millers, bakers, wheat food processors and government officials understand the quality, value, and reliability of all six U.S. wheat classes. For more information, visit www.uswheat.org.

/by
thumbnail

USW Joins Agriculture Groups, Labor Unions in Applauding Life-Saving International Food Aid Reform in House Farm Bill Text

May 17, 2024 – U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) joins the North American Millers’ Association (NAMA), National Association of Wheat Growers, Midwest Dry Bean Coalition, USA Rice, and AFL-CIO in applauding the House Agriculture Committee for its inclusion of life-saving reforms to U.S. international food aid programs in today’s release of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024. These reforms would immediately feed more people without spending any new taxpayer dollars.

The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 includes a 50 percent floor for U.S. commodities and ocean shipping in Food for Peace, ensuring that at least half of the budget goes directly to the program’s mission of feeding hungry people worldwide. Through its reforms, the Act preserves a robust role for USDA and the American farmers, millers, and shippers that have reliably contributed to Food for Peace since its inception.  Additionally, it simplifies the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust release mechanism so that the program can respond efficiently and effectively to hunger crises, as intended.

“The Farm Food and National Security Act of 2024 sends a clear message that Food for Peace should be delivering as much American grown food to as many hungry people as possible,” said USW Director of Trade Policy Peter Laudeman. “This is a mission that U.S. wheat farmers are proud to support, and we look forward to seeing these important reforms carried through the farm bill process.”

USW’s partners in backing the measure also voiced strong support.

“The food aid reforms included in the House farm bill ensure that more food will go directly into the bellies of hungry people around the world. In a time of such unprecedented famine emergency, we cannot imagine a higher priority than making sure we are feeding as many people as possible,” said NAMA Vice President of Government Affairs Kim Cooper.

“American labor has long supported the Food for Peace program, and is proud to endorse these provisions in the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 that ensure our nation continues its leadership in the fight against global hunger,” said Mark Clements, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO.

 

/by
thumbnail

Celebrating The Future of Agriculture – and Wheat Foods, From Farm to Flour – on the National Mall

The U.S. Wheat Associates, National Association of Wheat Growers, North American Millers’ Association, and American Bakers Association are joining the Celebration of Modern Agriculture on the National Mall near the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) headquarters on May 6, 7, and 8, 2024. The event will showcase the constant improvement in American agriculture from farmers, ranchers, equipment manufacturers, and input innovators on the cutting-edge of science and technology. 

NAMA, USW, NAWG, and ABA will host an exhibit that tells the story of wheat production, from field to flour to favorite wheat foods here and around the world. The exhibit will include interactive displays that tell the story of this iconic American crop and the industries it supports.

During the event, leaders from all four organizations will be available to speak with the media about their organizations’ participation in the event and how America’s wheat industry, from grower to manufacturer, is producing wholesome, sustainable staple foods to improve food security for a growing world. 

The event will be held on the National Mall in Washington, DC, near the Smithsonian Metro station, outside the USDA headquarters between the Smithsonian museums. The joint wheat industry exhibit will be located at Booth 32 near the Jefferson Drive SW and 7th St SW intersection (see map below).

/by
thumbnail
,

Ivan Goh Returning to USW as Biscuit/Bakery and Noodle Technologist

Ivan Goh returns to USW this month as a Biscuit/Bakery and Noodle Technologist in the South and Southeast Asia market. Goh has extensive experience in flour milling, bakery technical service and wheat food ingredients.

Ivan Goh returns to USW this month as a Biscuit/Bakery and Noodle Technologist in the South and Southeast Asia market. Goh has extensive experience in flour milling, bakery technical service and wheat food ingredients.

A familiar face with an extraordinary skillset returns to U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) this month as Biscuit/Bakery and Noodle Technologist in the South and Southeast Asia market.

Ivan Goh, who held the position from 2018 to 2022, has extensive experience in flour milling, bakery technical service and wheat food ingredients. He will work closely with USW staff, leading USW training courses throughout the region.

Duties to Include Running UFM Courses

USW Vice President for South and Southeast Asia Joe Sowers said Goh will take on the additional responsibility of running courses at the UFM Baking and Cooking School in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Ivan has remarkable technical abilities and is very familiar with the training programs U.S. Wheat Associates conducts,” Sowers said. “He understands the wheat foods industry in South and Southeast Asia, having experience with USW and private industry throughout the region. He is also familiar with the other markets USW works in, having collaborated with staff in our Manila, Seoul, Taipei, Beijing, Casablanca, and Latin American offices. USW’s technical specialists are more effective thanks to their global perspective. They share their skills and expertise with each other across all parts of the world. Ivan has the tools and experience to demonstrate the quality benefits of using U.S. wheat to industry partners.”

Mentored by Roy Chung

Goh earned a bachelor’s degree in food science and technology from the University of Putra Malaysia and is fluent in several languages spoken in the region. Importantly, Goh was mentored by USW Bakery Consultant Roy Chung, one of the longest serving USW staff members. In fact, Goh’s initial introduction to USW came when Chung conducted a USW baking workshop at FFM Berhad a decade ago. A year later, in 2015, Goh participated in a USW baking course Chung developed and led at the UFM Baking and Cooking School.

Goh joined USW in March 2018. He left USW and the Biscuit/Bakery and Noodle Technologist position in late 2022 and has since worked in private industry, building further on his skills and experience.

/by
thumbnail

USW Board Elects Millershaski as 2024-25 Secretary-Treasurer

ARLINGTON, Virginia – At its Jan. 26 meeting in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Board of Directors elected wheat farmer Gary Millershaski of Lakin, Kan., as Secretary-Treasurer for fiscal year 2024-25. The board also elected Clark Hamilton, of Ririe, Idaho, as Chairman; Jim Pellman, of McClusky, N.D., as Vice Chairman; and Michael Peters, ofOkarche, Okla., as Past Chairman. These elected officers will take their positions at the USW Board of Directors Annual Meeting July 9-12 in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Millershaski, along with his wife Jana and their sons Jeremy and Kyler, grow hard white (HW) and hard red winter (HRW) wheat, dryland corn and milo, and manage a cow/calf operation on their farm, which was passed along from Jana’s father Earl Kleeman. Millershaski became a Kansas Wheat Commissioner in 2016 and currently serves as its chairman. He also served as a director of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers (KAWG) from 2007 to 2017 after he received a KAWG scholarship while a member of the Class VIII Kansas Agricultural & Rural Leadership (KARL) program.

Learn more about Millershaski’s experience and commitment to the U.S. wheat industry and USW in the video below.

# # #

/by
thumbnail

Feeding the World, Caring for the Land: U.S. Wheat Associates Launches ‘Stories of Stewardship’ Video Series

ARLINGTON, Virginia – The time and effort U.S. farmers put into caring for the land makes for a story that is not shared often enough. A new video series produced by U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) aims to change that for overseas wheat buyers by focusing on how producers help feed the world while also acting as stewards of soil, water, and the environment.

USW’s  “Stories of Stewardship” project goes straight to the source. Five wheat farmers in five different states appear on camera, from their farms, to talk about their work to assure economic security for the next generation of farmers by leaving their land in better shape than it was when they started farming it.

A preview of the new, six-episode series can be viewed here. USW will debut the series at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Jan. 10, 2024, with a Facebook Live event at www.facebook.com/uswheat/.

“First and foremost, we are stewards of this land, so we can pass it on to the next generation.”                       Nick Jorgensen, Ideal, South Dakota.

Sustainable Production Across the U.S.

Episode 1 of Stories of Stewardship focuses on the variety of sustainable practices applied by the five farm families producing different classes of wheat across the wide range of growing conditions in the United States.

Five episodes will follow in January and February covering individual Stories of Stewardship from family farmers Tom Cannon, Blackwell, Okla., Ben and Stephanie Bowsher, Waynesfield, Ohio, Nick Jorgensen, Ideal, S.D., Art Schultheis, Colton, Wash., and Aaron Kjelland, Park River, N.D.

A Food Ingredient Produced Sustainably

“Consumers around the world want to know how their food is grown and U.S. wheat is definitely a food ingredient,” said USW Vice President of Communications Steve Mercer. “Here at home, we know U.S. farmers work every day to nourish and improve the land and produce a sustainable source of high-quality wheat. The purpose of the Stories of Stewardship series is to share this information with international buyers, millers, wheat food processors, and consumers who value the quality and reliability of U.S. wheat.”

In addition to the USW Facebook page, the Stories of Stewardship series can be seen on the USW website, Vimeo, X, and LinkedIn.

# # #

/by
thumbnail
, ,

U.S. Wheat Associates Hires Fiscal Officer, Promotes Two Others

USW Vice President of Finance Kevin McGarry has announced position changes in his team.

Norman Karlson has been hired as Fiscal Officer effective August 29, 2023. Kurt Coppens has been promoted to Director of Finance from his current position as Fiscal Officer. And current Senior Staff Accountant Adam Kiely has been promoted to Comptroller.

USW is the export market development organization for the U.S. wheat industry.

Norman Karlson

Norman Karlson, USW Fiscal Officer

Norman Karlson, USW Fiscal Officer

“We are very pleased to have Norman Karlson join the finance team in Arlington,” said McGarry. “With strong experience in non-profit financial management, Norman will bring a new perspective to our efforts. His ability to earn a master’s degree in accountancy at a young age shows his initiative and determination. We’re confident that he’ll begin his career at U.S. Wheat Associates with diligence and enthusiasm.”

Karlson most recently was a project accountant with Reading is Fundamental, or RIF, the nation’s largest children’s literacy non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. He also served as an accounting intern at Digital Promise, a global nonprofit working to expand learning opportunities by fostering innovative educational programs. While earning his bachelor’s degree in accountancy and master’s degree in 2022 at The George Washington University (GWU), Karlson was a billing assistant in the university’s events and venues finance department.

Kurt Coppens

Kurt Coppens, USW Director of Finance

Kurt Coppens, USW Director of Finance

Before joining USW as Fiscal Officer in July 2016, Kurt Coppens was an accounting manager at Agora, Inc., and Bridgestreet Corporate Housing Worldwide. Coppens earned a business administration degree in finance and international business from GWU. Originally from Belgium, Coppens became a U.S. citizen in 2018.

Adam Kiely, USW Comptroller

Adam Kiely, USW Comptroller

Adam Kiely

Adam Kiely joined USW in 1996 as staff accountant after working as a bookkeeper at Strauss Photo Technical Services. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Appalachian State University.

/by
thumbnail
, ,

Yi-I Huang Joins U.S. Wheat Associates; Taiwan Country Director Boyuan Chen to Retire

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) has hired Mr. Yi-I Huang (pronounced “E.E. Huang”) as Country Director for Taiwan, succeeding Boyuan Chen who plans to retire in September 2023.

Color portrait of retiring USW Taiwan Country Director Boyuan Chen.

Boyuan Chen

“Working with Boyuan Chen the past seven years, we have come to rely on his steady disposition and solid leadership,” said Jeff Coey, USW Regional Vice President. “He has been a good ambassador for U.S. wheat and the farmers we represent in Taiwan. His retirement comes sooner than we expected, but we wish him health and happiness.

“At the same time, we are excited to welcome Yi-I Huang to our team in the important Taiwanese market,” Coey added.

Grain Merchandising Career

Huang comes to USW after a fourteen-year career in grain merchandizing at Mitsui & Company, at both the company’s Taipei and Tokyo offices. Mitsui is the parent company of Vancouver Washington’s United Grain Corporation, which is a major grain supplier to several Asian markets.

Portrait of new USW Taiwan Country Director Yi-I Huang.

Yi-I Huang

In addition to his professional experience, Huang is fluent in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Japanese, and English. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture from National Taiwan University in Taipei, and he participated in an international exchange program at Keio University of Tokyo, Japan.

USW has maintained an office in Taipei for more than 50 years, with strong demand for U.S. hard red spring, soft white, and hard red winter wheat from Taiwan’s milling and baking industries. Taiwan has imported an average of more than 1.2 million metric tons of U.S. wheat per year the past five years. U.S. wheat sales to Taiwan in the first two months of marketing year 2023/24 have already reached 452,000 metric tons.

U.S. Wheat Associates’ (USW) mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers.” USW activities in more than 100 countries are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. USW maintains 15 offices strategically located around the world to help wheat buyers, millers, bakers, wheat food processors and government officials understand the quality, value, and reliability of all six U.S. wheat classes. For more information, visit www.uswheat.org.

# # #

/by
thumbnail
,

U.S. Wheat Associates Seats New Officers

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — The U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) board of directors seated officers for 2023/24 at their annual meeting the week of July 12, 2023, in Minneapolis, Minn. USW is the export market development organization for the U.S. wheat industry.

Michael Peters, Okarche, Okla., accepted the USW Chairman’s gavel from 2022/23 Chair Rhonda Larson, East Grand Forks, Minn. Clark Hamilton, Ririe, Idaho, now serves as Vice Chair, and Jim Pellman, McClusky, N.D., starts his term as Secretary-Treasurer. This slate of officers was elected in February 2023.

U.S. Wheat Associates Officers for 2023-24.

U.S. Wheat Associates Officers for 2023/24 (Left to Right): Clark Hamilton, Ririe, Idaho, Vice Chairman; Jim Pellman, McClusky, N.D., Secretary-Treasurer; Rhonda Larson, East Grand Forks, Minn., Past Chairperson; and Michael Peters, Okarche, Okla., Chairman. For more information, visit www.uswheat.org.

/by
thumbnail
,

U.S. Wheat Associates Hires Muller as Assistant Director of its West Coast Office

Luke Muller, U.S. Wheat Associates Assistant Director in Portland, Ore.

Luke Muller, U.S. Wheat Associates’ new Assistant Director in its Portland office

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) has hired Luke Muller as Assistant Director of its West Coast Office in Portland, Ore. Muller, who began his new role on May 30, comes to USW with a broad set of skills and experience in agricultural research and economics.

Raised on his family’s wheat, cotton, sorghum, canola, soybean and alfalfa farm in southwestern Oklahoma, Muller has a bachelor’s degree in Plant and Soil Sciences and Agribusiness from Oklahoma State University (OSU). He earned a master’s degree in Agriculture, Food and Resource Economics at Michigan State University (MSU).

Muller worked as a Research Assistant in MSU’s Department of Agriculture, Food, and Resource Economics, where his duties included investigating fungal and insect effect on crops in the Midwest. He also served as a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy. His work and study abroad offered an opportunity to see firsthand how other countries develop sustainable food chains through technology, research, and policy.

“Luke’s expertise in agricultural economics, coupled with his understanding of wheat farming and his excellent communication skills, will undoubtedly strengthen our efforts to support and promote the US wheat in the overseas market,” said Steve Wirsching, Vice President, and Director of USW’s West Coast Office.

Muller has been active on the local, state and international levels, serving in leadership roles focused on food security and sustainability.

“I really look forward to helping U.S. Wheat Associates in a variety of ways, and I think my educational background in agriculture and experience in research and farming will help me excel in the role,” said Muller. “My knowledge of agriculture has been shaped by different countries and through peer-reviewed research. But I also have a personal connection to farming.”

/by

Think Farm Export Programs Don’t Matter? Think Again.

GET THE REST OF THE STORY

DTN Wheat Detail
DTN Corn Detail

2008-2013 U.S. Wheat Associates. All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy | Non-Discrimination Statement