Assessment of Market Opportunities for U.S. Hww in Selected Latin American Countries

Abstract

In order to determine wheat millers' demand for hard winter wheat attributes in selected Latin American countries, the Self Explicated Method was administered through an e-mail survey in the Spanish language. It was found that most of the wheat millers surveyed in Mexico are not completely familiar with U.S. HWW, in contrast the Peruvian millers surveyed have more familiarity with this type of wheat. Wheat millers in Mexico and Peru do not perceive any advantage of U.S. HWW over the traditional U.S. HRW. Mexican millers are willing to pay the most for a marginal increase in P/L ratio, protein content, and test weight, while Peruvian millers are willing to pay the most for a marginal increase in protein content, P/L ratio and test weight respectively. Millers in both countries are not willing to pay a premium price to buy U.S. HWW, to start buying this type of wheat they have to be compensated, in other words they have to receive a discount or lower prices. When moving from a low to a high level of each attribute in the range considered in this study, millers in both countries are willing to pay the most for an increase in protein content from 11 to 14%, for an increase in wheat falling number from 290 to 410 seconds, for an increase in alveograph W value from 220 to 320 (10 -4 Joules), and for an increase in test weight from 75 to 82.5 Kg/hl. It seems unlikely that premium prices for U.S. HWW will come from the input or output markets in the countries evaluated. Therefore, if wheat breeders can release improved varieties that increase revenues from yield enhancement or significant improvements in the flour quality, the new U.S. HWW varieties will provide an incentive to expand the domestic production of this type of wheat.