BOISE, Idaho — For decades, Idaho wheat has been a staple in Taiwan. On Wednesday morning, state leaders signed a $1.2 billion agreement to support Idaho wheat exports over the next three years.
Idaho officials joined representatives from the Taiwan Flour Mills Association and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office for a ceremonial signing at the Idaho State Capitol, highlighting a partnership that’s been in place for decades.
WATCH: Idaho signs $1.2 billion wheat export deal with Taiwan
“It just gives us one more market. And that means money back into the farm segment, directly into the farmers’ pockets. The [agriculture] sector is still a very major component of our state’s economy,” Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke said.
That Idaho-grown wheat often turns into popular dishes in Taiwan, such as dumplings and dim sum.
“Roughly half of the wheat grown in the state of Idaho is exported. We don’t have enough people to feed it all here. So we rely very heavily on export customers, and Taiwan has been a long-standing, reliable customer,” said Idaho Wheat Commission Chairman Corey Kress.
Kress said the decades-long relationship with Taiwan has helped them expand across Asia.
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“Taiwan, China, Korea, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand— They really value the high-quality, soft white wheat we can grow in Idaho, and they’re willing to pay the premium to get it,” Kress said.
Trade agreements have also helped keep Idaho wheat competitive in global markets.
“Idaho wheat is so valued in those countries that we have what’s called a tariff exemption, or tariff rate quota, where we can export [large amounts of] wheat to them without any tariffs because they want that wheat so bad,” Kress said.
State leaders say the deal ensures Taiwan will remain a steady customer for Idaho farmers— something they call a big win for the state’s agricultural economy and the growers who make it happen.
