Idahoans applaud Taiwan wheat deal

BOISE – Taiwan plans to buy more U.S. wheat in the next two years, which state agriculture officials and Gov. Butch Otter hailed Monday as good news for Idaho.

“International markets are very important for Idaho’s wheat growers,” Otter said.

He signed on as a witness Monday to an agreement between the Idaho Wheat Commission and the Taiwan Flour Mills Association committing Taiwanese flour mills to buy $425 million in U.S. wheat in the next two years, up from $333 million in 2005-06.

The agreement leaves the terms, quantities, prices and conditions for sale to be negotiated privately, and doesn’t specify how much of Taiwan’s U.S. wheat purchases would be from Idaho.

“In a lot of ways, it is a goodwill agreement, but obviously it means a lot to our Idaho Wheat Commission and our Idaho wheat farmers,” said Laura Johnson, spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture.

Idaho exports about half of the wheat it grows. Taiwan is the fourth-largest market for wheat produced in the Pacific Northwest. In 2006, Idaho produced $365 million in wheat crops, with wheat ranking second only to potatoes in cash crop receipts. Wheat is grown on more than 1.25 million acres in Idaho.

A trade delegation from Taiwan that included the flour mill officials and diplomatic representatives made stops in Washington, D.C., South Dakota and Idaho, and signed the agreement Monday in the governor’s office.