LTA, Mexico Ethanol Delegation Visits North Dakota, Sees Ethanol Value Chain

Earlier this month, a delegation of public and private sector representatives from Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Colombia traveled to North Dakota to see the U.S. ethanol industry in action before attending the Renewable Fuels Association’s (RFA’s) National Ethanol Conference in Orlando, FL.

Hosted by the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council, the team visited a corn farm, a grain elevator, an ethanol plant and met with Dr. David Ripplinger of North Dakota State University while in the state.

“This mission allowed our Latin America and Mexico delegation members to learn first-hand about ethanol production and the supply chain in the United States, as well as to hear about the latest events and innovations in the biofuels sector,” said Federico Salcedo, USGC regional ethanol consultant. “We hope this mission will allow the delegation to return to their countries and continue promoting the biofuels policies that will have a great social, economic and environmental impact.”

Follow along below for a photo essay of the group’s time in North Dakota.

The trade team agenda started in Carrington, ND, at Rosenau Farms. The group met with Tyler Rosenau, North Dakota Corn Utilization Council chairman (right), to discuss harvest, drying and storage methods and see the corn crop’s quality on the farm.

Before heading to the next stop, the delegation gathered for a group photo in the shop at Rosenau Farms. In addition to trade team participants and USGC staff, this photo includes Jean Henning, USGC state checkoff sector director and North Dakota Corn Utilization Council executive director (first row, left); Tysen Rosenau, North Dakota Corn Utilization Council chairman (third from right); and Markie Rosenau (second from right).

Pictured here, the group visited Clifford Farmers Elevator, a farmer-owned cooperative based in Clifford, ND. The cooperative, a merchandiser for Theraldson Ethanol Plant, provides products and services for grain, agronomy and propane.

The group’s final visit took place at Theraldson Ethanol Plant. It provides a local market for area corn growers, requiring about 60 million bushels of corn annually, which will, in turn, produce 170 million gallons of ethanol and about 450,000 tons of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) each year.

Their state-of-the-art facility is one of the largest ethanol plants in the country and has the latest, most innovative and energy-efficient technology in the marketplace.