The U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission team is home safe and sound. It was a very interesting 2 weeks of visits with American grain customers and others in Morocco, Egypt and Jordan. You might expect these countries to be “all the same.” However, each country has a very distinct culture and that includes everything from food to how they drive.
A consistent theme was the growth potential in these markets. That’s why the USGC has people on the ground working to develop new business opportunities for American farmers. After our team’s final dinner I spoke with them as a group to get their final thoughts on what they’d like farmers back home to know about their experience. We just went around the table starting with the corn grower members. Here are some of their final thoughts:
- The main thing is the relationship the USGC staff has with people in all these countries. They appreciate what the USGC does.
- I got to see what the USGC does on a personal level. These ddgs programs are working well. I hope they’ll buy more.
- I sure learned a lot about the legwork that goes on on the ground here for these guys. There’s still some work to be done.
- We spent our time well and did something that will benefit everyone back home. The USGC work has been an important part of keeping our exports going.
- I think the potential for increased sales is there. The network is in place and working well.
- Demand looks strong and will continue for a long time to come.
Shannon Schaffer, the USGC staff representative on our trip added these thoughts:
- These guys worked really hard on this trip. Lots of time spent on the road and with the customers we service. They served as ambassadors for the USGC and corn growers specifically.
For my part I want to thank the USGC for allowing me the opportunity to go on this trip and provide documentation of the trip. Besides the stories here on AgWired I have also been posting onto The Grain Board. It looks like I produced a little less than 3,000 photos, and a combination of 50 audio/video interviews and clips. Hopefully it has provided you with a better understanding of the international development work of the U.S. Grains Council and these markets in particular.
You can listen to my final interview with the Corn Mission Team below: