The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) continues its global Corn Harvest Quality Report events, with recent seminars leaving a mark in North Asia. The series of events, held in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, presented the findings of the 2023 U.S. Corn Harvest Quality Report, offering valuable insights into the record-breaking crop.
This year's report, based on 611 yellow corn samples from 12 leading corn-producing and exporting states, underscored the 2023 U.S. corn crop as the largest on record, with the lowest percentage of broken corn and foreign material (BCFM) to date.
“Japanese buyers were happy to hear about this year’s high protein concentration, lower total damage, and moisture content,” said Tommy Hamamoto, USGC director in Japan.
Tailored to meet the specific needs of each market, the events in Taiwan and Japan included presentations of the report results, insights from U.S. corn producers Jay Reiners and Scott Haerr, and updates on the global supply chain by USGC Vice President Cary Sifferath. Attendees also engaged in question-and-answer panels.
“Attendees in Taiwan expressed their gratitude that the Council provided insight on logistical issues and possible ways to combat those,” said Michael Lu, USGC director in Taiwan. “They were also impressed by the precision farming techniques U.S. corn producers used for high efficiency of production and environmental protection.”
In Seoul, South Korea, potential buyers learned about the exceptional quality of the 2023 U.S. corn crop. Jim O’Connor and Brandon Hunnicutt, representatives of the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council and Nebraska Corn Board respectively, shared insights from the corn field. The event, attended by 170 people from the feed and corn processing industries, emphasized the potential for increased U.S. corn purchases and featured a presentation on the Corn Sustainability Assurance Protocol (CSAP).
“It is clear that this CQR seminar will be a driving force for Korean buyers resuming U.S. corn purchases. The Council also promoted the CSAP, increasing the value and competitiveness of U.S. corn as a major agenda of the seminar,” said Haksoo Kim, USGC director in Korea.
A second Council-produced study, the 2023/2024 Corn Export Cargo Quality Report, will measure corn quality at export terminals at the point of loading and will be available in the coming months.
