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Taiwan buys $48 million of Montana wheatHELENA, Montana (AP)--Taiwan, the world's seventh-largest importer of U.S. wheat, agreed June 13 to a $48 million deal that will send nearly 4 million bushels of Montana wheat to the country over the next two years. A nine-member contingent of Taiwan government officials and flour-mill representatives signed the agreement with Gov. Brian Schweitzer and members of the Montana wheat and Barley Committee, in a brief ceremony at the governor's office. The purchase covers 2008 and 2009, and is part of a $425 million national wheat-export deal that includes Idaho, South Dakota and other states. It is a "significant increase" over the $372 million, two-year deal signed in September 2005, said Yin-chin Yang, supervisor of the Taiwan Flour Mills Association. Of the 2005 deal, only $333 million worth of wheat was shipped to Taiwan, officials said. "We will continue to hope that this kind of long-standing friendship (with Montana) will go on forever," said Robert C.M. Chen, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle. The Taiwanese said they like U.S. wheat for its quality and use it for noodles, bread and other items. Montana exports between 4 million and 6 million bushels of wheat to Taiwan each year. (1 bushel of wheat = 27 kilograms or 59.5 pounds) Montana and North Dakota are leading growers of the high-quality, dark northern spring wheat and hard red winter wheat sought by Taiwan flour millers, state agriculture officials said. Schweitzer called Montana wheat "the finest wheat in North America." "Other states can provide it, but the gluten strength is not the same as Montana because our varieties are bred for their baking quality," he said. "We know that our markets are a long way from Montana and it costs the same amount to ship a product of lower quality as it does a product of higher quality." Weather has pummeled winter wheat in parts of the United States and abroad, but the National Agricultural Statistics Service is projecting a strong harvest in Montana this year. wheat prices surged to a record high this week as heavy rain threatened more harm to an already damaged crop. Montana's foreign wheat sales totaled about 115 million bushels worth an estimated $529 million in 2006, state figures show. Date: 6/20/07
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