A combination of competitive prices and timely marketing efforts by the U.S. Grains Council has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales of corn gluten meal to Tunisia.
Using Agricultural Trade Promotion Program (ATP) funds, the Council sponsored seven feed grain importers and end-users from North Africa and the Middle East at a grain procurement management course in September 2019 at the Northern Crops Institute (NCI) in Fargo, North Dakota. This course was intended to increase their awareness of U.S. corn co-product production, origination, and transportation through U.S. export channels
The 10-day course provided the team members with a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. grain handling and marketing systems through a combination of intensive in-classroom seminars at NCI and North Dakota State University’s (NDSU’s) Commodity Trading Classroom. There, participants undertook simulated trade exercises to learn how to extract and analyze market information and assess risk.
In addition to classroom training, the team visited nearby grain farms to examine the current year’s corn crop and traveled to both Duluth, Minnesota, to visit the port authority and an export facility, and to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to meet with major U.S. corn and corn co-products export suppliers.
Providing market information and technical assistance through the grain procurement management course helped keep the Council’s key partners in the region informed on market conditions, which is especially important as trade dynamics shift fueled by increased competition from Black Sea exporters.
As a result of the Council’s efforts, a two-container shipment of 1,165 metric tons valued at $630,000 was bought by Tunisian program participants. The Council invested $ 7,000 in ATP funds to execute this educational program for Tunisian industry participants, creating a return on investment (ROI) of $90 per $1 of ATP funds invested.
About The U.S. Grains Council
The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. With full-time presence in 28 locations, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture’s profitability. Detailed information about the Council and its programs is online at www.grains.org.