Published 8/16/08

Barley team visits Central Montana from Japan

by VICKY MCCRAY
Special to the News-Argus

A group of seven Japanese feed and trade industry representatives were in Stanford last week to visit the Green Giant Feedlot and Basin Seed, LLC. The purpose of their trip was to gain updated information on the 2008 barley crop, supply and demand situation.

The team was organized through the Japan office of the U.S. Grains Council, a private, non-profit partnership of agribusinesses and producers committed to building and expanding international markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and their products.

The Montana Wheat and Barley Committee hosted the team, which was escorted to the area by Cheryl Tuck, Information Specialist, and Kim Falcon, Executive Vice President, of the Committee. Kim Holzer of Stanford is one of seven directors of the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee, each of whom are appointed by the governor and serve with no compensation. Holzer is the director of District 5, which covers Judith Basin, Broadwater, Cascade, Fergus, Golden Valley, Lewis and Clark, Meagher, Musselshell, Petroleum and Wheatland counties.

The Committee was first established in 1967 and is attached to the Montana Department of Agriculture. Its mission is to aid the development of markets for wheat and barley grown in Montana. In accomplishing this mission the committee is represented in foreign markets through organizations such as the U.S. Grain Council.

On their arrival to Stanford on Wednesday morning, the Japanese delegation met with the Gees. Jumping into the back of a Toyota driven by Joanne Gee, the group toured the Green Giant Feedlot, where they were shown one use for barley. Dr. John Gee said they were quite interested in watching the barley being rolled and the feed truck in operation. They learned the animals are fed an 80 percent concentrate ration that is mostly barley.

Although the group in general spoke very little English, one of them commented that the ride in the truck was more comfortable than the Japanese subway.

On leaving the feedlot, the group toured the Basin Seed facility and then had a look at a barley field in production. They were interested in knowing whether the crop was contracted or not. Jim Kulish of Stanford and Kurt Hershberger of Denton, two of the partners in Basin Seed, told them it had been contracted by Anhauser Busch.

Kulish said the team was looking for quality and consistency and the Identity Preserved (IP) program would assure them that what was raised here would be what they would receive at home. The partners informed the group they would probably have to look toward the same type of arrangement as the brewing company in order to get exactly what they want.

“We’d love to get into it,” Kulish said. “It would allow us the ability to contract with local producers to grow what is needed. We don’t normally make any money planting barley but if we contracted to provide the products they want, it would be a win, win for everybody.”

Kulish said this group was mainly looking at barley, but in the future this area could see more foreign markets interested in Montana grains.

Lunch was served at the Wolves Den and the Committee provided information about Montana’s barley varieties as well as the storage of barley and the insects in stored grain. Dr. Tom Blake, barley geneticist, and Dr. David Weaver, researcher, presented the information. Both men are from Montana State University, Bozeman.

At the conclusion of the two presentations, Holzer presented each delegate with a Basin State Bank cap and thanked them for their interest.

The group returned to Great Falls. On Thursday their journey took them to Lewiston, Idaho, where they met with both the Idaho and Washington barley commissions. They returned to Japan on Saturday.