A specialized milling course at Kansas State University is helping South American mill executives make smarter wheat purchasing decisions, expanding US wheat's market reach in Chile and Colombia by emphasizing quality attributes alongside price considerations.
- The Buhler-KSU Executive Milling course brought together 10 milling executives from seven countries, with two South American participants sponsored by US Wheat Associates.
- US wheat captures 30-40% of Chile's wheat market (1.0-1.3 million metric tons annually) and has seen significant growth in Colombia, which imports 1.9 million metric tons yearly.
- The course covers wheat classes, milling fundamentals, quality control, and grain conditioning with hands-on training at the Hal Ross Flour Mill.
- Mill executives who understand wheat quality make better purchasing decisions by considering quality attributes beyond just price, preventing flour quality issues and process inefficiencies.
- US Wheat continues supporting South American customers through on-site technical support and market information to maximize wheat purchasing and blending strategies.
Ten milling executives from seven countries gathered at Kansas State University in mid-August for a specialized course designed to help industry leaders make smarter wheat purchasing decisions.
The Buhler-KSU Executive Milling course, taught in Spanish at the IGP Institute, brought together mill owners, directors and managers for training that bridges the gap between business leadership and technical knowledge. U.S. Wheat Associates sponsored two participants from South America to attend.
“The program helps participants understand the relationship between wheat characteristics, milling performance, flour quality and final product functionality,” said Andres Saturno, technical manager in the USW Santiago Office.
The course covers wheat classes and quality, grain cleaning and conditioning, milling fundamentals and quality control. Students also get hands-on experience at the Hal Ross Flour Mill.
Shawn Thiele, milling specialist and IGP associate director, developed the course specifically for executives who need technical knowledge without getting too deep into the science. The focus stays on concepts that support strategic and operational decisions.
“Selecting the right wheat is one of the most effective ways to prevent flour quality issues and process inefficiencies before they occur,” Saturno said.
The two USW-sponsored participants represent important markets for U.S. wheat farmers. Chile combines domestic wheat production with imports totaling between 1.0 and 1.3 million metric tons annually. The United States captures between 30% and 40% of that market share.
Colombia depends entirely on imports, purchasing close to 1.9 million metric tons of wheat per year. U.S. wheat exports to Colombia have grown significantly in recent years.
The Chilean participant serves as general manager of one of the country’s top flour milling groups. The Colombian participant leads the country’s largest flour milling group and came from a different industry.
“Managers with a stronger understanding of wheat quality make better purchasing and business decisions by considering not only wheat prices but also quality attributes,” Saturno said.
U.S. Wheat will continue working with both customers by providing on-site technical support and keeping them informed about U.S. wheat production and market opportunities.
“By supporting educated decision-making at the executive level, we help both organizations maximize the value of their wheat purchasing and blending strategies,” Saturno said.
