U. S. Wheat Exporters Pitch Quality to Expand Sales in Sub-Saharan Africa
U. S. wheat exporters are emphasizing quality and production performance because they often cannot match the lower prices offered by competing suppliers Training millers, bakers and food manufacturers has helped build confidence in U. S. wheat and contributed to a 138% increase in exports to sub-Saharan Africa Competition is intensifying as rising. . .
U. S. wheat exporters are emphasizing quality and production performance because they often cannot match the lower prices offered by competing suppliersTraining millers, bakers and food manufacturers has helped build confidence in U. S. wheat and contributed to a 138% increase in exports to sub-Saharan AfricaCompetition is intensifying as rising African wheat demand attracts stronger commercial pushes from the United States, Canada, Russia and UkraineU. S. wheat exporters are increasingly relying on product quality rather than price competition to expand sales in sub-Saharan Africa. U. S. Wheat Associates, or USW, which represents American wheat producers in international markets, described the strategy in a statement published on July 22. “We try to demonstrate the value of U. S. wheat. When U. S. wheat is not the most affordable wheat on the market, we show buyers what they can get from that investment,” said Chad Weigand, USW regional director for sub-Saharan Africa. He noted that African buyers often have access to cheaper supplies from Russia, Ukraine, Canada, the European Union and the Baltic states. Training Food Manufacturers to Build Lasting DemandThrough USW, the United States has stepped up training and promotional activities targeting millers, bakers and food manufacturers to demonstrate the quality and performance of American wheat. The organization believes African manufacturers need a clearer understanding of how different wheat classes perform so they can improve production efficiency and product quality. As part of the initiative, USW held training sessions in late 2024 for millers and bakers in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. The sessions showed how blends containing Hard Red Spring, or HRS, and Hard Red Winter, or HRW, performed in bread flour production. Both are U. S. wheat classes commonly used for breadmaking. According to Weigand, the training increased African buyers’ confidence in using U. S. wheat and helped drive higher purchases in both countries during the 2025/2026 marketing year. “Marketing Year 2025-26 saw U. S. wheat exports to Sub-Saharan Africa increase by 138%, making it one of the strongest year-over-year growth performances among USW’s international regions,” the statement said. USW also plans to target other growing segments, including pasta and baked goods, to promote wheat classes better suited to those products. Commercial Competition Intensifies in AfricaThe emphasis on quality comes as wheat demand across the region continues to rise. In its latest global grain market report, the U. S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, projected that sub-Saharan Africa’s wheat imports would increase 2% year on year to 32. 7 million metric tons in 2026/2027. That would mark a fifth consecutive year of rising imports since 2022/2023, when the region purchased 24. 6 million metric tons. The U. S. effort comes as the world’s major wheat exporters compete for a larger share of Africa’s rapidly growing market. In May, Cereals Canada, an association representing major stakeholders in Canada’s grain industry, announced plans to make Africa a new growth market for Canadian wheat exports. Canada, which currently supplies about 11% of Africa’s annual wheat imports, has identified Kenya, Cameroon and Mozambique as markets with further growth potential. Russia and Ukraine are also seeking to consolidate their positions on the continent. Moscow, already the leading supplier to several African markets, is working to expand its trade and distribution networks, including through logistics initiatives in Egypt announced in May. Kyiv, meanwhile, is seeking to expand its presence in West Africa after opening an agricultural hub in Ghana in April 2026. Stéphanas Assocle