COLUMBUS, Ohio — The United States exported $8.3 billion worth of wheat in 2022 and Ohio is one of the many states contributing to that sum.

What You Need To Know

  • Ohio farmers primarily grow soft red winter wheat

  • There are five other classes of wheat: hard red winter wheat, hard red spring wheat, soft white wheat, hard white wheat and durum  

  • Soft red winter wheat is typically used to create cookies, crackers, pretzels, pastries and flatbreads

The Buckeye State regularly falls within the top 15 wheat-producing states, while specifically being a top producer of soft red winter wheat.

According to the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association, Mexico, China and Colombia are the largest buyers of Ohio's soft red winter wheat.

Spectrum News 1 recently spoke with Wendy Osborn, director of Market Development for Ohio Corn & Wheat at The Ohio State University's 2023 Farm Science Review. 

"It's really exciting this year because we're going to have all three of those countries visiting Ohio specifically to learn more about softer red winter wheat, how they can use that as millers and bakers in their country, and then also to meet with our grower farmers," Osborn said.

Spectrum News 1 agriculture expert Andy Vance explained how these relationships are built.

"At the governmental level, you have professionals both at the federal and state levels who are involved in building trade relationships with other countries," Vance said. "You have folks that who are involved in what I'll call the industry level, so people like like Wendy and others at the National Corn Growers or the National Cattlemen's or whatever commodity we might be talking about, who are working with companies, with governments, with industry partners in those destinations to try to open and develop those markets. And then, of course, you have it down at the company level as well." 

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