The U.S. Grains Council’s international operations staff recently gathered to discuss and determine plans for the future of the Council. Addressing competition in each market was an overlying theme as USGC staff drafted the 2011 Unified Export Strategy (UES). The UES is the Council’s strategic plan for developing international markets for U.S. grains and co-products and is submitted to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service to spur federal matching funds. USGC Senior Director of International Operations Mike Callahan talks about the importance of the UES. Click here to listen.

According to USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates released Tuesday, U.S. corn yield is estimated at a record 165.2 bushels per acre in 2009. This is up 2.3 bushels from the December forecast and 4.9 bushels above the previous record of 160.3 bushels per acre set in 2004. Mike Deering, USGC director of communications, interviewed USGC director of biotechnology programs Rebecca Fecitt about the role biotechnology plays in the increase in corn yield. “We hope to see this upward trend in yields for U.S. corn continue. As science becomes even more sophisticated, it will help increase and maintain our yields. This will be instrumental in feeding the world’s forecasted 9.1 billion people by 2050,” said Fecitt. Click here to listen to the interview.

Several weeks ago, the U.S. Grains Council reported Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and Rural Affairs released a directive, ordered by the Turkish Danistay Court, to repeal the Oct. 26, 2009, regulation that restricted market access of products containing biotechnology derived content. The Council received word today that the MOA appealed the Court’s decision and overturned the regulation. Thus, the Oct. 26 ban is again in effect. Marri Carrow, USGC manager of communications, spoke with Rebecca Fecitt, USGC director of biotechnology programs, about the developments in Turkey. Click here to listen.