Montana Farm Bureau members traveled to Taipei, Taiwan Friday on a trade mission to meet with their trading partners and visit about future agricultural trade. Joining a group from the Governor’s office, Montana Department of Agriculture representatives and other ag organizations were Montana Farm Bureau President Cyndi Johnson, MFBF Executive Vice President Scott Kulbeck, past District 8 Director Ken Johnson, current MFBF District 2 Director J.M. Peck, and MFBF District 10 Director Jim Willis, along with MFBF Senior Director of Governmental Affairs Nicole Rolf.

Two years ago, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte reopened the Montana Asia Trade Office to promote, grow, and expand trade and sales and investments across the wheat, pulse crops, machinery, education, optics, coal and pharmaceutical sectors. In July, MFBF met with a Taiwanese trade delegation who were interested in the Treasure State’s agricultural commodities, especially beef and wheat, in Helena. Tawain is the United States’ sixth largest agricultural export market.

 

Upon arrival in Taipei, the group toured the National Palace Museum and saw the Changing of the Guard, then enjoyed a Montana Welcome Dinner. Monday, they visited the American Institute where they met with the Foreign Agricultural Services and had an overview of Montana and Taiwan agricultural trade. Tuesday, the group visited the China Grain Products Research & Development Institute.

The rest of the week, the delegation will tour the Top Food Industry Cooperation—the most advanced flour mill in Taiwan, and a visit to the Taichung Port where grain is imported from the U.S. The beef segment of the trip will include the Mayfull Aging Facility for beef—the largest boutique importer of high-end beef, a tour of the Taiwan Livestock Research Institute and a tour of a dairy operation.

The Montana Farm Bureau hosted a networking dinner which focused on forming connections with U.S. organizations that would assist with establishing a beef supply chain from Montana to Taiwan.

"Just recently, wheat consumption has surpassed rice consumption in Taiwan, and they prefer Montana, high quality wheat. This trip has been very worthwhile in that we have been able to reassure Taiwanese trading partners that we value their business,” said Kulbeck. “The fact that we share important values such as freedom and democracy with the Taiwanese people makes them an important trade partner and a relationship we want to maintain."

According to the Montana Department of Agriculture, Taiwan is consistently one of Montana’s top ten trading partners. In 2022, Taiwan purchased over $107 million in goods from Montana, including high- quality wheat, industrial machinery and beef.

 

The MFBF Delegation will be in Tawain until November 3.