By Catherine Miller, USW Director of Programs
As spring rolls around the corner, so does a familiar tradition—the annual visit of the Japan Flour Millers Association (JFMA) team. Welcomed year after year in late April and early May, this visit is a constant on the U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) calendar, dating back to at least 1998.
JFMA is Japan’s largest flour millers association, comprised of the top 21 flour milling companies. Notably, the top four JFMA member companies and their subsidiaries account for more than 80% of Japan’s wheat flour sales. This year, the delegation included seven executives, joined by Rick Nakano, USW country director. Several members of the group are repeat visitors, having made this annual trek to the United States for many years.
Their journey typically stops first in Washington, DC, where conversations center on policy, trade and the broader relationship between the U.S. and Japan. This year’s program included meeting with Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden and a session at the USW Headquarters Office with members of the USW trade policy team. The team also broke bread over lunch with other representatives from the U.S. wheat industry groups in DC, including the North American Millers’ Association (NAMA) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG).
From DC, the team traveled to North Dakota where North Dakota Wheat Commission acted as official hosts. The team spent an entire day on the farm of USW Chairman Jim Pellman. Walking the fields and seeing wheat production firsthand offers a unique and tangible connection to the American wheat farmer.
After North Dakota, the team headed to Portland, Oregon, shifting the focus to logistics, trade, and how high-quality U.S. wheat moves from fields to port. While in Portland, the group visited the Oregon Wheat Commission, OMIC USA, the Wheat Marketing Center and the United Grain export elevator. Industry visits like this allow the team to get firsthand insight into quality testing, technical innovation, and the export process.
The continuity of these conversations is what defines these visits. Many discussions build on those from years past, discussing how the industry has evolved while the partnership has remained constant. Over meals, site visits and meetings, ideas are exchanged, questions are asked and relationships are renewed. These face-to-face interactions matter, especially in the Japanese market, where U.S. Wheat recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of the USW Tokyo Office.
Nearly three decades on, the annual JFMA visit remains a meaningful tradition—one that reflects not only professional collaboration, but also the enduring friendships and mutual respect that have defined this relationship for decades.