The second week of August, the Montana Wheat & Barley Committee (MWBC) welcomed one of our top trading partners to the state. U.S. Wheat Associates Japanese director Rick Nakano attended with four representatives from Japan’s top milling companies, Director of Japan’s flour millers’ association (JFMA), and the Director of grain trade from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). The four milling representatives account for around 80% of the total wheat and barley purchases made by Japan. Japan’s commodity purchasing system is slightly different, MAFF purchases grain then distributes based on demand domestically. A highly calculated system with the mission to guarantee food to their citizens:
MAFF’s mission is to hand down
“food” as the basis of human life and
a secure “environment” to future generations.
We make our utmost efforts to always
directly address people’s expectations and propose
and implement visionary policies.
Kicking off the visit we had a robust discussion with the team which covered the recent weather and grain quality outlooks. We also gave the team the opportunity to express their supply chain challenges. The two big points of concern the team expressed were the new regulations regarding buckwheat in shipments and genetically modified crops. Japan has implemented a maximum buckwheat tolerance of five kernels per one kilogram. Buckwheat is a severe allergen in Japan much like peanuts are to some in the United States. The team also expressed consumer concerns over the recent genetically modified varieties grown in Argentina. In a recent study over 40% of Japanese consumers responded to a survey expressing “unease” of genetically modified food.
Throughout the visit I had to pinch myself as if in a dream. Visits like this are so critical for maintaining working relationships with our foreign partners. Given the high honor of the team visiting, the trip was filled with strategic discussions, quality visits, field tours, combine rides and a taste of Montana hospitality. We visited farmers Mike O’Hara and Frank Schoonover, grain elevators, the Montana State grain lab, Fort Benton’s famous river walkway, Giant springs state park, and a brief bison viewing from a Dutton MT hobby rancher. Farmers and industry representatives exchanged some ceremonial cheers to such a great long-standing relationship, except we used the Japanese word “Kanpai!”
To conclude I had one word to express our producers’ feelings towards our Japanese partners. Ikigai (ik-ee-guy) which is a Japanese word meaning: a reason for being, having a sense of purpose in life and feeling of well-being.
To our producers as you harvest, make sure to go to the local pub, visit with friends and family, and give a ceremonial Kanpai! to our long-lasting trade partner that is the lifeblood of our state.