This week, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) sponsored a group of Moroccan grain buyers in a specialized procurement management course at the Northern Crops Institute, located at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, North Dakota. The program is part of USGC’s efforts to expand grain market knowledge and management skills for African stakeholders to meet the growing demand for feed grains in the region.
"The Council continues to grow its operations in Africa through investments in equipment and training, and it’s also extremely important to extend that training to importers so they are prepared to source and purchase ever-increasing amounts of feed grains to meet their domestic needs," said Mohamed Salah Bouthour, USGC deputy regional director for Africa.
The week-long course combined classroom instruction with real-world applications. NDSU professors covered essential topics like grain futures markets, financial strategies, weather forecasting tools, inventory management, and U.S. transport logistics. The course also included interactive exercises simulating purchasing and trading scenarios, providing the Moroccan buyers with practical experience they can immediately apply.
Participants were given a closer look at the U.S. agricultural supply chain, with field visits to a North Dakota feed mill, a shuttle train loading facility, and CHS Inc.’s export terminal. The team then traveled to Minnesota, where they visited the Duluth Seaway Port, which handles diverse agricultural cargo, and toured Hansen-Mueller’s grain terminal elevator.
The course concluded with in-depth sessions on international contract negotiations with industry giants Cargill and ADM. These sessions allowed the Moroccan buyers to meet with seasoned traders who shared insights into global grain market trends.
"Africa has incredible market potential, and the Council has been diligently laying the groundwork for U.S. agriculture to capitalize on that opportunity," Bouthour said. "Expanding our programming to include procurement trainings and connecting directly with key stakeholders has significantly boosted our goals in the region. We look forward to fostering more of these impactful exchanges."
USGC's training efforts align with a broader strategy to foster strong international partnerships and build robust supply chains for U.S. feed grains, supporting the growing demand in Africa.
