Hosting Nigeria's Largest Miller in North Dakota

Recently, the North Dakota Wheat Commission welcomed two representatives from Olam Agri to North Dakota.  The two oversee some of Nigeria's largest wheat milling operations and bring decades of experience in flour milling, food manufacturing, and supply chain management across multiple continents.

Nigeria is a large wheat consumer and importer, though it tends to be price-sensitive. There is growing demand for high-quality, reliable wheat, providing a niche market for U.S. HRS and durum. This visit was about understanding what goes into delivering that quality from the field to the lab.

Nigeria is one of Sub-Saharan Africa's most important and fastest-growing wheat markets. Through its subsidiary Crown Flour Mills, Olam Agri operates major milling facilities in Lagos and Port Harcourt, producing flour for bread, pasta, semolina, noodles, and more. They know wheat, and they came with serious questions.

As demand for flour-based products grows across Nigeria, buyers like Olam Agri are thinking carefully about where their wheat comes from and what they're getting for their money. This trip was about digging deeper into what makes U.S. HRS and Durum wheat worth understanding.

The group started with farm visits in Minnesota before heading to the North Dakota Mill in Grand Forks —the largest single-site mill in the country. From there, the focus in North Dakota shifted to the science behind the wheat. Here are a few of the things they took home:

• The Big Picture on HRS and Durum: The visit kicked off with an outlook on both crops from Erica Olson, Director of Marketing and Research at the NDWC. They also learned where the market stands, what's driving demand, and what buyers can expect from U.S. wheat going forward.

• Understanding How Wheat Moves: Dr. Kim Vachal, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, walked the group through the ins and outs of getting wheat from North Dakota to the world, covering inland transportation logistics and what that means for reliability and cost.

• Inside the HRS Breeding Program: The delegation got a look at how HRS varieties are developed with end-use quality in mind, not just yield. Seeing the intentional, research-driven work behind every variety helps buyers understand what they're actually purchasing.

• Quality in the Lab: Dr. Islam and Dr. Manthey at NDSU brought the group into the wheat quality labs for both HRS and Durum, walking them through quality attributes and what those numbers mean for their mills. Giving them hands-on time with the data.

• A Tour of the Northern Crops Institute: David Boehm gave the group an overview of the NCI facilities and the research and training that support end-use quality for buyers around the world.

• Durum Up Close: To wrap things up, Dr. Elias walked the delegation through the full story of U.S. Durum. From its roots in the Middle East to how the crop has evolved here in the U.S. to where the breeding program stands today. The group also learned about low-cadmium Durum, an increasingly important topic for buyers navigating food safety standards in global markets.

• Time with the People Behind the Crop: During their visit, the team shared a meal with NDWC board member Scott Huso, who shared what life looks like on a North Dakota farm. From the decisions he makes each season to the care that goes into every crop. For milling professionals who work with wheat every day, that kind of conversation brings the supply chain to life in a way a presentation never could.

As the Sub-Saharan African market grows for HRS and durum, the need to understand wheat quality grows with it. Buyers who understand what they're purchasing, how it's grown, what the research shows, and how it performs in their mills are better equipped to make decisions that serve their customers well.

the group left North Dakota with a much deeper understanding of U.S. HRS and Durum wheat. That knowledge doesn't just inform one purchase. It shapes how a buyer thinks about quality for years to come.