The Deputy Minister of Agricultural Production for Morocco is Ahmed Bentouhami, pictured on left, who met with the U.S Grains Council Corn Mission team for dinner. We had a very informal discussion as we sampled more wonderful Moroccan food. Mr. Bentouhami’s comments are translated in the audio file below by USGC Consultant Mustapha El Youssoufi, pictured on the right. He …
Morocco Ag Attache Working For U.S. Agribusiness
The Regional Agricultural Attache for the United States in Morocco is Hassan Ahmed. I first met Hassan when he was posted to Cairo and I was traveling on a USDA FAS trip that included stops in Cairo and Alexandria. I haven’t seen him since then until today but we still remember the “camel story” among others. Some of you have …
Morocco’s Office of Cereals
The Moroccan government’s “Office of Cereals” is led by Mr. Abdelali Aziz, General Director (pictured center). He spoke to the U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission this morning about the status of corn imports into Morocco and touched on quantity, quality and standards. He also commented on the impact of the USGC’s programs on the poultry and beef sectors. He says, …
International News About Soybeans
John Baize, Baize & Associates is a regular columnist for the United Soybean Board’s Expert Advice. His company specializes in international agricultural trading and policy consulting on oilseeds and soybeans and including biotechnology policy, trade policy, agriculture policy and market development activities. In his most recent column you’ll find information about China. A lot has been said about the impact …
New Vs. Old Style Moroccan Feedlot
The Ammar Beef Feedlot is owned by Ammar Abd El Fettah, picture on the right. He’s standing next to local U.S. Grains Council Consultant Mustapha El Youssoufi. The feedlot was our first stop on our Corn Mission tour of Morocco this morning. Ammar has been in the beef business through his family which goes back generations. I interviewed them after …
Growth of Grain Imports In Morocco
The Director for the Mediterranean and Africa for the U.S. Grains Council is Kurt Shultz. He’s been our main guide and font of information so far. I spoke with Kurt this morning to get an overview of agriculture in Morocco and the potential it holds for U.S. grain producers. He says that the USGC became involved in Morocco about 15 …
AGMasters Conference Report on Global Ag
Here’s another report from the AGMasters Conference blog, this one written by University of Illinois Ag Comm major Alyssa Eade: Although to many farmers across the Midwest it may seem that agriculture in the US is struggling, Murray Wise, CEO and Chairman of the Westchester Group, is enthusiastic about the future of agriculture. Wise spoke on the future for global …
Optimizing Corn Yields Report from AGMasters
Since the students did such a great job of blogging the AGMasters Conference, I am just going to re-post a few of their posts here, instead of doing it myself. See photos from the conference on the AGMasters Photo Album This one was written by Megan Ott and Jared Roskamp: Participants from this year’s AGMasters Conference had the privilege to …
Meet The USGC Corn Mission Team
Here is the 2009 U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission team. Ready to rumble in Morocco, Egypt and Jordan. This photo was taken today in Frankfurt airport. We have arrived at our first Moroccan destination and are getting ready for a meal and initial briefing on our activities. I’ll know more in a little while and will be posting some more …
Speaking For Agriculture
Speaking For Agriculture was the title of a joint panel discussion at the NAMA Trends In Agriculture Conference and NAFB Convention. The moderator was Lindsay Hill, ABN Radio. The session focused on how consumers perceive farmers and agriculture and what can be done and is being done to communicate a positive message about agriculture in a society that is increasingly …