By Clover Chang, U.S. Grains Council Director in Taiwan

Although distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is well established in Taiwan, there is still room for growth. The Taiwanese feed sector currently undervalues the advantages of utilizing DDGS for reasons including the cost of storage due to limited storage capacity. But these considerations may be offset by outreach and buyer education on the advantages of the U.S. ethanol co-product.

To promote DDGS utilization in Taiwan, the Council recently arranged for a Taiwanese group to travel to the United States and tour the U.S. ethanol industry as meet with grain associations. Team members were surprised with the inclusion rate used by many U.S. producers and were encouraged to increase their usage back at home. The team was also impressed by the U.S. commitment to quality, and especially the testing of DDGS for mycotoxins. U.S. quality control was clearly a confidence builder.

Taiwan last year was the seventh-largest importer of U.S. DDGS’s, but the market is not saturated. Continuing buyer education on inclusion rates and U.S. quality offers the potential to generate increased sales in this key market.