Farmers Promote U.S. Wheat in Kenya during U.S. Wheat Associates Trade Mission

April 7, 2025

This past week the U.S. Wheat Associates hosted a trade mission to Kenya, Africa where historically U.S. wheat farmers have played a very important role in helping to feed those who are food insecure.

One of the participants was Cut Bank farmer and Montana Wheat and Barley Committee Director Keven Bradley.

"Our first meeting was with the World Food Program, which is a United Nations program," said Bradley. "In the past and historically, the U.S. has been very, very a very high donor to to the program on helping with the situations in Africa. When we met with them and we got to meet with the director there and, she went through some of the issues that they're going through, with the USAID funding, getting cut off. And she's trying to figure out different ways how to make her program work, with labor and with food rations and that sort of thing."

He explains why trade missions like this are still very important for the U.S. wheat industry. 

"We need to let them know that we have wheat," said Bradley. "They may not always be able to afford it, but the U.S. does donate a lot of wheat. And it's always been a good fit down here for the U.S. to to donate to donate these guys wheat and make sure that that they're refugees are fed and their people are fed and they can be competitive. So, it's super important to maintain relations. Like I said, we don't have a lot of wheat that comes in here unfortunately."

The U.S. Wheat Associate says that logistics still play a big part in where Kenya sources its wheat, with the majority still coming from both Australia and Russia.

Source: Western Ag Network & U.S. Wheat Associates