U.S. Wheat sponsored the the 2026 UIBC International Competition for Young Bakers, which included finalists from Brazil, France, Germany, Peru, Sweden and Taiwan. Photo credit: U.S. Wheat Associates (USW).
“Show the world how you imagine it to taste!” That was the challenge issued to the competitors in the 2026 UIBC International Competition for Young Bakers, sponsored by U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) at the 2026 Taipei International Baking Show.
The finalists, all of which were 23 years or younger, came to Taipei from all over the globe – Brazil, France, Germany, Peru, Sweden and Taiwan – to square off during the three-day competition. Despite the different flags emblazoned on their competition jackets, the teams had a unifying factor – the flour they used was made from U.S. wheat.
This fact became even more impactful as the members of the 2026 USW North Asia Board Team navigated through the crowds milling through the exhibit hall of the Taipei International Baking Show. The impact of six decades of market development work in Taiwan and the resulting more-than-80% market share for their wheat was evident at nearly every booth. From mouth-watering, custard-filled cakes to premium premixes for Taiwanese pancakes, each brightly colored and carefully displayed product contained U.S. wheat.
Organized by USW and attended by members of the North Dakota Wheat Commission, the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee and the National Association of Wheat Growers, the team hopped across the East China Sea after visiting South Korea to gain insights into one of the most faithful U.S. trading partners – Taiwan flour millers.
The 2026 North Asia Board Team included five wheat farmers: Hardy from Beach, North Dakota; Lee Dahlman from Dutton, Montana; Glendon Slaubaugh from Wolford, North Dakota; Chris Tanner from Norton, Kansas; and Nathan Keane from Loma, Montana. Julia Debes, USW director of communications and stakeholder outreach, led the team throughout their two-week trip to South Korea and Taiwan.
“I think it is really important for farmers to meet millers and customers face-to-face, in-person and show that farmers really care about the Taiwan market and want to listen to any issues or opinions,” said Fiona Lee, USW program coordinator, who accompanied the team in Taiwan with USW Country Director Yi-I Huang and Wei-Lin Chou, USW Asian product and nutrition technologist. “This team had very clear goals as to why they are here and a very clear picture of what they wanted to know about the Taiwan market.”
A Loyal Trading Partner in a Shifting Domestic Landscape
Taiwan is geographically small, roughly the same geographic area as the state of Maryland, but the country is home to more than 23 million people. With a birth rate of only 0.87%, population decline has a ripple effect across industries, ranging from the need for more “smart milling” technology in Taiwanese flour mills to labeling to meet halal certification requirements to feed immigrant laborers from Southeast Asia.
The United States has had an 81.68% market share of Taiwan’s wheat milling imports over the last decade. Wheat is purchased in bulk vessels through the Taiwan Flour Mills Association (TFMA), founded in 1952. TFMA purchases around 1.0 million metric tons (MMT) (36.74 million bushels) of wheat annually, including U.S. hard red winter (HRW), U.S. hard red spring (HRS) and U.S. soft white (SW) wheat. All three classes are loaded onto single vessels originating from the Pacific Northwest as a combination cargo.
“It was encouraging to hear the amount of consumption and the percentage of the market that the United States has; that’s a reflection of past years of commitments and cooperation building that market,” North Dakota farmer Hardy said. “They continue to want the quality of wheat that we’re growing. They’re happy, and they really respect the wheat they get from the United States.”
Baked Goods as a Bridge
Taiwan flour millers, bakers and consumers clearly have positive regard for American farmers and the wheat they produce. At the Taipei International Baking Show, Montana farmer Dahlman received the white-glove treatment, participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside diplomats from nations ranging from Nigeria to Slovakia to Japan and beyond.
“It was a very big honor to be there with those men and women,” Dahlman said. “I got to thinking too that your equipment salesman comes around once a year, shows his face, makes a presence. If he doesn’t, you’re probably going to go to another one when the time comes to buy. That’s why we’re doing this work – for relationships – and it’s very important, whether we’re doing it at home domestically or here in Asia. We don’t want U.S. producers to lose market share, and these relationships are incredibly important to maintaining and gaining markets.”
That respect was on full display throughout the team’s meetings on the exhibit hall floor. The first booth the team visited was Top Food Industry Corporation, where the company’s head made a point of being present to meet with the U.S. farm delegation, despite having recently undergone back surgery. He illustrated the strong trade relations between the United States and Taiwan through one of the country’s traditional souvenirs – a small pineapple cake made with U.S. wheat flour and filling made from Taiwanese pineapple.
The team also visited with the owners of the Namchow Group, which produces frozen dough and snack foods, and Hong Ming Enterprise Co, Ltd., a major flour mill located in southern Taiwan. Both of these large and successful operations are multi-generational, a connection easily made with the board team members.
“They celebrate baking here in this country, and it’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before,” Montana farmer Keane said. “Here’s a bakery show that brings in 160,000 people. We can’t do that for any kind of trade show in the United States, let alone for wheat. It’s incredible to see that.”
The final stop at the bakery show was to meet with executives of China Grain Products Research & Development Institute (CGPRDI). Established in 1962, the CGPRDI is a key partner for U.S. Wheat in Taiwan, providing training, promotions, inspections and certifications. The organization inspects all U.S. wheat purchased through TFMA and has more than 20 years of data on file for every single wheat shipment delivered to Taiwan. The team learned about the group’s work to help develop and test new products as well as their role in Taiwan’s Clean Label and whole wheat certification programs.
Exploring the Future of Flour Milling in Taiwan
Loaded down with samples of Taiwanese wheat foods, the team took off the next day for the northern part of Taiwan to tour one of the flour mills owned by the Lien Hwa Milling Corporation. Lien Hwa is the largest milling company in Taiwan with more than 30% market share.
At the mill, Dahlman and Keane met a friend made during the Taiwan Goodwill Mission in September 2025. President Michael Chang met the Montana wheat farmers and welcomed them and the rest of the board members to the compound, which includes two flour mills and the only pasta production line in Taiwan.
Lien Hwa also focuses on business-to-consumer products, including small packages of wheat flour for home baking, premix flour for products like Taiwan egg pancakes and churros and pet food premixes for cat and dog treats. Lien Hwa also produces wheat flour for other businesses, including for the Neverland Noodle Bar where the team ate lunch the prior day.
The team toured the Yangmei Plant, which has two milling lines, both used for U.S. HRS and HRW wheat. Quality control is incredibly important and Lien Hwa is increasing automation within the mill to help address labor shortages. New applications of technology are being used to measure ash, moisture and protein content in real time as the wheat moves through the mill. These automated quality control systems allow milling staff to respond more quickly and produce a better final product.
“They’ve done a good job on their milling system,” North Dakota farmer Slaubaugh said. “I’m very impressed that they’re working to get AI into the milling system; I can see a future in that.”
Following the tour, the team was treated to a delicious lunch at Lien Hwa. The entire meal was full of wheat foods made with the company’s flour, including fried chicken and mushrooms (premix for batter), Taiwan-style tortillas filled with meat and vegetables, gua bao (pork wrapped in soft, steamed bread) and the team’s favorite dessert – a powder sugar-coated puff pastry filled with custard.
Stuffed to the brim, the team drove back into Taipei City to meet with the American Institute in Taiwan, which represents U.S. interests in Taiwan. The team had a robust discussion on a wide range of topics from tariffs to sanitary and phytosanitary measures to the upcoming celebrations of the USW Taipei Office in April and international celebrations of America’s 250th birthday in July.
The Lasting Impact of Seeing Market Development at Work
Before leaving Asia to return home to the busy spring farm schedule, each board team member reflected on their heightened appreciation for USW’s in-country staff, the respect for their work as farmers by customers half the world away and the joy in the fact that Taiwan and their previous stop in South Korea both celebrate wheat as a healthy, fun and essential part of their daily routine.
“Being there, I was continually blown away in a foreign nation as a wheat farmer,” Kansas farmer Tanner said. “Trade is important, and we have to make sure that we treat our customers right overseas. As policy changes daily, the long-term relationships and making sure our customers around the globe get the wheat they need is the broader message.”
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