The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a new report, "Export Programs at Work," that highlights the success of industry partners using export market development programs administered by FAS in FY 2010.

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) is one of more than 70 FAS partner organizations and qualifies for federal program support based on voluntary funding from its 19 state wheat commission members.

Prepared by the FAS Office of Trade Programs, "Export Programs at Work" features three examples of successful wheat export promotion efforts.

The first details results of an econometric study showing a profitable return of $23 in net revenue to wheat producers, and $115 in gross revenue to the U.S. economy, for every $1 invested in wheat export promotion between 2000 and 2007.

The other examples focus on building and maintaining a large U.S. wheat market in Nigeria and an effort to work with new flour mills in Indonesia to increase U.S. wheat sales in a market dominated by Australian wheat exports.  

"Despite the worst global recession in 2009 in decades," the FAS report notes, "the top U.S. agricultural exports — soybeans, coarse grains, red meats, fresh fruit and vegetables, processed fruit and vegetables, wheat, feeds and fodders, cotton, poultry and tree nuts — increased by 78 percent in the past five years (from FY 2005 to FY 2010); this increase is valued at an estimated $31.4 billion.

FY 2010 total exports are forecast to reach $107.5 billion, $11.1 billion higher than FY 2009 ($96.4 billion) and the second highest on record. FY 2011 exports are forecast at $113 billion, approaching the FY 2008 record $115 billion."

To read "Export Programs at Work" and more information about federal export market development programs, visit the FAS Web site at http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/marketdev.asp. For more information, visit www.uswheat.org or contact your state wheat commission.