Last week, U.S. Grains Council (USGC) Marketing Specialist Angelica Rios, USGC Regional Programs and Special Projects Manager Sierra Richey and USGC Consultant Mario Zumbado traveled to the Dominican Republic for a series of meetings engaging the domestic feed industry on effective use applications for U.S. feed grains and coproducts.
“The Dominican Republic is a rapidly growing economy and the agricultural sector is expanding to meet that demand, resulting in an exciting rise in U.S. exports so far in marketing year (MY) 2024/2025,” Richey said.
“As the Dominican Republic has the opportunity to buy corn from various origins, it’s important we continue to engage with buyers to ensure our customers understand the benefits of U.S. origin and the variety of coproducts available on the market.”
Richey, Rios and Zumbardo began the program by meeting with representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA’s FAS) to share data and strategies for agricultural export promotion.
Afterwards, the trio held one-on-one meetings with several major players in the Dominican feed sector to present on the advantages of U.S. co-products in poultry rations, better understand their needs and discuss future collaboration opportunities.
Additionally, five leading agribusinesses participated in a technical seminar highlighting the advantages of corn co-products in poultry feed and launching the Council’s corn origin study, emphasizing U.S. corn’s superior performance in feed milling.
The Council has been actively working to promote corn and co-product consumption in the Dominican Republic’s attractive consumer market. The country currently imports approximately 1.2 million metric tons (47 million bushels) of corn per year, with more than half coming from the United States. Its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico provides a significant logistical advantage in shipping.
“While infrastructure and storage limitations are currently limited DDGS use, increased adoption is expected as these challenges are addressed through training and investment,” Richey said. “The feed industry has been very receptive to the Council’s outreach, and we’re excited at the potential of the Dominican market to expand even further.”
Learn more about the Council’s work in the Dominican Republic 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.