After two months of worldwide tours disseminating the information found in the 2015/2016 corn and sorghum harvest quality reports, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is gearing up for the release of their companion pieces focusing on quality of U.S grains soon before they are exported.
“The harvest quality reports were well received all around the world,� said USGC Manager of Global Trade Manuel Sanchez. “Through our conferences, seminars and one-on-one meetings, we were able to present the results of these reports to interested buyers. Ultimately, this timely and transparent information helped build their confidence in the United States’ ability to supply them with high-quality corn and sorghum in the coming year.�
The Council’s roll outs of its quality reports have become eagerly anticipated events. International customers particularly enjoy when USGC farmer members are able to assist with the presentations. This year, farmers from about a dozen states traveled for roll out events
“Our farmer members are able to explain to buyers what happened day-to-day on their operations,� Sanchez said. “That information is invaluable to our overseas customers who want to know exactly how our weather impacted the quality of U.S. corn and sorghum that is available for sale.�
However, the harvest quality reports only monitor the quality of U.S. corn and sorghum to the point of their unloading at local grain elevators. To tell the rest of the story, the Council will publish two additional reports later this year to assess the quality of these crops as they are assembled for export.
“The export cargo quality reports that we will be releasing soon provide more information for our customers,� Sanchez said. “The United States is the only country in the world that releases this type of information, and our buyers are grateful for it. It helps them make informed buying decisions.�
As a package, the four reports are intended to provide reliable, timely and transparent information on the quality of U.S. corn and sorghum as they move through export channels. They also use consistent methodology to permit the assessment of trends over time.
Click here to read past Global Update articles on this year’s harvest quality reports roll outs.