The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) recently led a trade promotion mission to the Philippines, aiming to support the country’s transition to a gasoline blend containing 20 percent ethanol (E20). The mission, coordinated with the Philippines Department of Agriculture, brought together U.S. ethanol industry representatives and Filipino stakeholders to advance ethanol adoption and strengthen supply chains.
USGBC Regional Director for Southeast Asia & Oceania Caleb Wurth and Deputy Regional Director Chris Markey joined members from Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio corn organizations during the event, which coincided with the Philippine National Corn Congress — the country’s largest gathering of corn farmers.
For the first time, the Congress was divided into three clusters representing the main corn-growing regions: Visayas, Mindanao and Luzon. Wurth highlighted U.S. corn production technology and ethanol’s economic and environmental benefits, especially for rural communities.
The delegation also visited Cauayan City in Isabela province, a key corn-growing area, where they toured an ethanol plant and met with government officials and farmers. Local leaders expressed interest in expanding the ethanol industry to encourage U.S. investment and support animal production through feed grains.
Currently, U.S. ethanol complements local production to meet the Philippines’ E10 mandate. Moving to E20 would increase total ethanol demand to 360 million gallons, creating new opportunities for U.S. producers and Filipino rural economies.
“The presence of Council grower members helped build stronger connections and trust with customers and officials,” Wurth said, paving the way for future collaboration.
