The U.S. Grains Council hosted a high-level delegation of Israel’s leading feed grain importers for a top-to-bottom review of U.S. grain production, marketing and delivery systems.

“This was an important chance to showcase the opportunities U.S. grains offer,� explained Joe O’Brien, USGC regional director in the Middle East. “Israel has a sophisticated feed milling industry and will shift its sourcing, frequently based on prices and availability.�

“Over the past few years we’ve seen a lot of competition for this market from the Black Sea region, which has the advantage of lower freight costs. This was a chance to emphasize the benefits of buying U.S. grains, in particular the reliability and efficiency of our production systems.�

The delegation was led by the CEO of Shovre-Bar, a company which imported two-thirds of Israel’s coarse grains last year, and also included principals from the four largest feed milling operations in Israel.

The team visited USDA/GIPSA in New Orleans to review testing and reporting procedures for grain exports before traveling to Kansas State University for informational sessions on feed formulation and grain storage. The United Sorghum Checkoff Program later conducted an instructional program featuring a demonstration of sorghum uses.

Israel currently imports 3.2 million metric tons of coarse grains annually, and last year Shovre-Bar sourced 700,000 tons from the United States.