Ag Supply Chain Asia 2018 Results In 1.6 MMT In Sales

Jointly organized by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), Ag Supply Chain Asia (ASCA) 2018, held recently in Surabaya, Indonesia, included more than 280 participants and reaped more than 1.6 million metric tons (MMT) of business interest for U.S. agricultural products.

Participants in ASCA 2018 (previously known as the Grain Transport Conference) represented more than 130 organizations, including importers, end-users, suppliers and service providers from across Southeast Asia. The two-day conference provided participants with an in-depth outlook on the region’s current ag markets as well as the influencing factors, strategic analyses and expert insights to help navigate the global agricultural market.

The North Dakota Soybean Council, South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), with which both USGC and USSEC participate as cooperating organizations, primarily funded the event.

U.S. producers from five states shared presentations of their farming operations and the importance of maintaining sustainable farming practices. They also participated in a U.S. ag producers’ forum and took questions from customers sharing their viewpoints on a wide range of domestic and international topics. Delegates reiterated the U.S. agricultural industry’s commitment to support open markets and free trade, a topic of particular interest in a region with evolving trade approaches following the U.S. exit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Presentations included insightful opinions on the main Southeast Asian markets, the global and Chinese outlook for grain and soy, current trends in ocean freight and overall coverage on the supply chain for food and agri-products for this region.

“It is valuable to have interactions with major Southeast Asian grain traders regarding our next crop year,” said Ryan Wagner, who participated in the event as the USGC Asia Advisory Team lead and a delegate from the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council. “I learned what these traders are looking for regarding corn quality, and it is important to share with them that U.S. corn is high in quality, readily available and that we are a consistent supplier.”

According to conference evaluations submitted, trades and negotiations included more than 1.6 million tons of U.S. agricultural products, including 900,000 tons of U.S. soybeans and soybean meal and about 780,000 tons of U.S. corn, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and wheat.

USGC and USSEC staff and representatives in the region will follow up on this success with additional outreach to local buyers to ensure they have the information they need to continue growing sales.