Market development is typically a long game in international trade. It can take years of relationship building, quality demonstrations and patience to secure a long-standing trading partnership. But sometimes, with strategic timing and a little luck, a big swing in the right market can be the key to unlocking a new opportunity.
One such occurrence was facilitated in 2025, when strategic complimentary work facilitated by U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) staff, capitalized on a USDA Food for Progress wheat monetization project in Colombia to crack open a market long dominated by Canadian wheat. The effort generated multiple immediate follow-up commercial shipments for U.S. farmers. The win demonstrates how the Food for Progress program and USW outreach converts strategic aid into commercial revenue while displacing competitors in hard-fought export markets.
“I’ve had the pleasure of visiting customers in Colombia,“ said Chet Creel, Texas Wheat Producers Board member and a farmer from Newcastle, Texas. “I’ve seen first hand the opportunities that come from getting a foot in the door in these markets. Sometimes, the introduction of U.S. wheat can unlock years of additional sales.”
Colombia has the second-largest population in South America, creating the largest demand for imported wheat in the region. The country has negligible commercial wheat production, supporting demand, but 60 percent of wheat imports have historically been sourced from Canada. Breaking that preference required strategic partnership to introduce U.S. wheat to customers in a region of the country historically challenging for U.S. gulf exported wheat to compete.
The Food for Progress program provided that opening when a vessel departed the Gulf on March 15, 2025, loaded with a donation shipment of nearly 735,000 bushels of U.S. HRW wheat and 492,000 bushels of U.S. HRS wheat. When the wheat cargoes arrived in Buenaventura, the Colombian companies that purchased the donated wheat were fully prepared to incorporate U.S. wheat into their bread and pasta flour blends, thanks to USW’s technical assistance.
Following those initial Food for Progress shipments and coordinated training by USW staff, Colombian buyers booked four additional commercial vessels of U.S. wheat that moved through Buenaventura during the summer of 2025. The outcome was real sales, real income for farmers; and new success in a market that had long been hard to capitalize. ?
Since 1985, Food for Progress has addressed food insecurity in developing countries while creating export opportunities for U.S. agriculture. Wheat is one of the most frequently used commodities in Food for Progress monetization projects, reflecting global demand for staple grains and strong interest from developing-country millers.
“The commercial sales of U.S. wheat to Colombia, following a successful monetization project, are a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of the Food for Progress program and USW’s commitment to expanding market access for U.S. wheat farmers,” Galdos said, noting that USW is tracking additional commercial sales of U.S. wheat expected to land in Colombian ports this fall. “USW will continue to build on these wins by providing additional trade and technical assistance to further cement trust with Colombian millers and create additional opportunities for importing U.S. wheat.”
