With vigorous feed grain and ethanol marketing programs planned in the coming year from the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) Middle East and Africa regional office, the Council has recently initiated a plan to bolster its staff presence there.
Reece Cannady, USGC manager of global trade, is embarking on a one-year assignment to the office in Tunis starting this month.
“I am fortunate to join a very experienced and solid team managed by Ramy Taieb, the Council’s regional director,” Cannady said, speaking of the office that covers the European Union; the Mediterranean region (Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Libya); the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Egypt); and Sub-Saharan Africa. “I’ll be there to support him and the regional team in expanding programming, particularly in countries that have developed livestock sectors that can react quickly and buy U.S.-origin feed grains and co-products.”
Cannady’s work will focus on Egypt, Spain, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The MEA region – which includes more than 80 countries and once was brimming with four busy Council offices – is a strong buyer with significant potential demand for U.S. corn and U.S. distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS).
“We have a strong team with innovative programming in the region and, thanks to a grant by the Michigan Corn Growers Association, the Council is able to increase our investment in the region during this critical time,” said Kurt Shultz, USGC’s senior director of global strategies. “We are fortunate to be able to deploy Reece to the region to add much-needed capacity.”
Learn more about the Council’s efforts in the Middle East and Africa.
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.