A Minnesota Corn grower-leader saw firsthand in January how the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is developing markets for corn and dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) in Southeast Asia.
Belgrade farmer John Mages, the treasurer of the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council (MCR&PC), participated in USGC’s Grain Export Mission, which this year was held in Vietnam and Thailand.
Each year, USGC holds the Grain Export Mission for member organizations to showcase how it’s increasing opportunities for U.S. grains abroad. The MCR&PC is a longtime member of USGC and longtime supporter of efforts to increase opportunities for U.S. corn farmers, both domestically and internationally.
Other participants in this year’s Grain Export Mission represented USGC partner organizations in Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and North Dakota.
In Vietnam, trade mission participants attended USGC’s 2023-24 Corn Harvest Quality Report rollout event, which highlighted the quality of the 2023 U.S. corn crop to Vietnamese buyers. The annual report provides reliable and timely information about the quality of the U.S. crop to assist buyers in making well-informed decisions. USGC holds rollout events in key markets around the world. MCR&PC member Jim O’Connor participated in USGC’s Corn Harvest Quality Report rollout event in Seoul, South Korea, in January.
The group also had dinner with Vietnamese grain buyers and traders, and toured the Vinh Hoan feed mill and catfish farm, which uses DDGS in its feed ration. As part of the tour, the group helped Vinh Hoan staff feed a catfish pond on the Mekong River. “You’re seeing hundreds of thousands of fish at one time try and gobble up some food,” Mages said.
In Thailand, the trade mission visited dairy farms, including an experimental farm that has increased productivity approximately 40% by installing a cooler and improving conditions for the cows. Mages said the experimental farm expects an even more significant productivity increase when it improves its dairy ration.
The group also attended a USGC-sponsored conference that showed Thai dairy farmers how they can increase productivity through improved animal comfort and better rations that include DDGS, soybean meal, and corn silage. Improving productivity could increase quality of life for Thai farmers, Mages noted.
Vietnam and Thailand represent significant opportunities for U.S. agriculture. Both countries use millions of metric tons of corn and DDGS each year, though neither imports meaningful amounts of corn from the U.S. Vietnam last bought U.S. corn in 2021-22 and relies mainly on Argentina, Brazil, and India for its supply. Thailand produces most of its own corn and relies on other Asian countries for the rest.
Mages said the main reason Vietnam hasn’t purchased U.S. corn in two years is price, noting the high cost of the U.S. dollar. He also noted perceptions that U.S. corn is of a lower quality than South American corn because it tends to be dustier.
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