Council Hosts Grain Storage And Handling Conference In Mexico

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) led and hosted its first Regional Grain Storage and Handling Conference, held in Merida, Mexico earlier this month for a group of nearly 100 end users from Mexico and Central and South America, representing 65 companies and eight countries in total. The initiative’s goal was to highlight the value of proper storage management practices while also discussing the work the Council has done to show the advantages U.S.-origin corn provides, and how it is impacted by proper storage and handling management.

The two-day conference covered key topics including fumigation, operational safety, nutrition in various diets, mycotoxin management and a grower update from Illinois Corn Marketing Board Director and USGC Asia A-Team Lead Jon Rosenstiel. The conference was well-timed to roll out the results of a two-year study the Council commissioned along with Purdue University to measure the value of U.S. corn with proper storage management, as well as understanding best practices for tropical climates.

“The value of this activity cannot be understated, as we aim to answer many of the key questions and challenges our customers face on a daily basis. Using this storage project and other complementary presentations, we can provide operationally focused solutions so our end-users can maximize their potential through the use of U.S. feed grains,” said Heidi Bringenberg, USGC director in Mexico.

“Being able to give a transparent overview of the challenges while sharing best practices can only positively impact our customers’ operations, where they can return with new perspectives and ways to address issues they face.”

Some key points of the event included broken corn and foreign material (BCFM) management and understanding its value. The Council’s study showed broken corn retains 98 percent of the nutritional value of whole corn. In the economic analysis, BCFM was shown to have a value of between $200 thousand and $270 thousand that can be captured in operations through proper management and handling practices, and the risks associated with BCFM are all manageable.

“Grain storage and handling involves all aspects of an operation, and the Council has continued to work directly with customers through trials and audits to provide a wide array of solutions and tools that can apply not only regionally, but also globally,” said Alexander Grabois, USGC manager of global strategies and trade.

“As we advance and grow the scope of our grain storage project, we hope to continue to show our customers and operational end users how these practices can not only positively impact safety and operations but also increase productivity. Mexico and Latin America will continue to be key focus markets due to their climates and market share, but we will also look to expand outreach on a global scale.”

Learn more about the Council’s work in Mexico here.