The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) recently hosted Dairy Management Summit Asia 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand, bringing together leading experts, farmers and government representatives from Southeast Asia (SEA) and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) to discuss key challenges and opportunities in their respective dairy industries.
The summit welcomed 72 participants from China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam, making it the largest dairy sector conference ever held in the region.
“There is strong potential for growth in SEA’s dairy industry, driven by increasing fresh milk consumption and government support,” said Caleb Wurth, USGC regional director for Southeast Asia and Oceania (SEA&O). “This inaugural summit aims to support its growth by providing solutions to the region’s most pressing constraints such as heat stress, mastitis and brucellosis.”
During the two-day event, participants explored the role of technology in dairy management, including the use of data analysis and decision support systems to enhance farm productivity and timely decision-making. A field visit to Wondermilk Feed Quality and Research Laboratory – launched in January in collaboration with the Council – and a corn silage bailing site reinforced the conference’s topics as participants saw firsthand the challenges and opportunities in the SEA and MEA dairy sectors.
“The summit provided a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange, equipping participants with actionable insights to drive the future of dairy farming in SEA,” added Rowena Ngumbang, USGC regional marketing manager for SEA&O.
Learn more about the Council’s work in SEA&O here.
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.