1. IWC and industry detail

The Idaho Wheat Commission and its partners since April have hosted 10 events virtually for other countries’ trade teams.

More such sessions are planned in 2021, and the commission likely will use virtual tools in some form even when COVID-19 concerns ease, Executive Director Casey Chumrau said.

“Those virtual connections have been very successful and we are adding more dates as customers request additional information,” she said. How many more sessions will be held in 2021 will depend on demand.

More videos and other content appear in sessions this year compared to 2020, when IWC and other state commissions canceled in-person visits and shifted to virtual formats.

“We learned from our experiences last year, and we had more time to prepare than we did in the first year,” Chumrau said.

IWC traditionally hosts four to six teams in person each year. Idaho partners with U.S. Wheat Associates to bring teams to the state. Japan, The Philippines, South America, Latin American countries and others have sent teams.

Teams typically comprise U.S. wheat buyers, often millers or major food manufacturers. Members learn about and make contact with participants in the U.S. wheat marketing chain

Chumrau said that while the visits often result in a team signing a memorandum of understanding to buy a certain quantity of wheat, their primary objective is “to make a personal connection between the customers and the Idaho producers … Personal connections and a handshake still go a long way in instilling confidence in the reliability of the U.S. grain industry.

“Trade teams are one of the most effective ways to connect customers with Idaho producers,” she said. “Standing in a field, riding on a combine or sharing a meal with a grower significantly increases a buyer’s knowledge and appreciation of a wheat crop.”

Advantages of virtual events include increased total participation, lower cost, and opportunities to link with other states and organizations immediately. Seminars can be added easily.

Chumrau said the virtual trade-team meetings have helped IWC continue its market development work and have shown customers it can shift strategy in delivering information important to their businesses.

The commission usually budgets $20,000-$25,000 a year to host trade teams, and “we see this as a very good investment in order to develop and maintain friendships and business contacts with wheat buyers around the world,” she said.

“We would like to see both the in-person trade teams and the virtual crop updates continue into the future,” Chumrau said.

“We miss the in-person format because we can dive a little deeper,” she said. “And a lot of times, the most valuable conversations come over a meal or driving from one location to the next.”