Representatives from the U.S. Grains Council's (USGC's) office in Southeast Asia participated in two regional conferences this month to provide context, industry insights and actionable market intelligence to customers of U.S. agricultural commodities.
As trade in food and feed ingredients continues to increase to meet rising demand, risks and opportunities will also invariably increase, making this type of one-to-one outreach and the information USGC can provide even more valuable.
“Managing risks associated with international agricultural trade continues to be a priority for both agribusinesses and governments around the world,” said Manuel Sanchez, USGC South and Southeast Asia assistant director.
“Therefore, it is important that we exchange information on not only crop quality and supply, but also the latest solutions, trends and technologies in order to ensure we continue to meet the shifting needs of our world trading partners.”
USGC staff participated in the VIV Trade Show, an international exhibition for animal breeding and processing, in Bangkok, Thailand, from March 15 to 17. This biennial conference brings together 47,000 members of the value chain from across the world.
The Council showcased U.S. coarse grains and value-added products through a tradeshow booth as well as a one-hour seminar. In addition, the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok organized a country pavilion promoting U.S. companies in attendance including USGC members International Feed, The Scoular Company, The DeLong Co., Mirasco Inc., Fornazor International Inc., MidWest AgEnergy Group and CHS Inc.
The event also allowed USGC staff to meet with a vast network of buyers in the world’s most populous region and highlight the world’s most reliable supply of high-quality coarse grains.
The USGC-organized seminar attracted more than 60 participants and featured Sanchez presenting on the 2016/2017 corn supply and demand outlook and U.S. new corn crop estimates and Dr. Jerry Shurson, University of Minnesota, speaking on distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS).
Immediately following VIV Asia, the USGC Southeast Asia team traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for the 11th annual Asian Grain Transportation Conference.
The Council jointly organizes this conference with the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) to bring together the agricultural community in Southeast Asia. More than 225 participants attended, representing more than 95 countries across 16 different countries in Southeast Asia.
This event allows USGC to promote U.S. grains and value-added products through targeted market education and one-on-one trade servicing. In addition, the conference provides a platform for top-level decision makers to meet, interact and conduct business with exporters.
Southeast Asia is an important and growing market for the U.S. grain and grain co-products industry with significant potential for U.S. ethanol exports. Conferences like the two this month help position U.S. coarse grains and value-added products to meet increasing demand from the region’s ever-growing livestock sector.
