By Kurt Schultz, U.S. Grains Regional Director for Latin America

The Arkansas Farm Bureau and the U.S. Grains Council joined together and sponsored an eight person team of Colombian poultry producers to the United States last month. The program was brought about by the recent passage of the U.S.-Colombia Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) and a desire by the Arkansas Farm Bureau to develop closer ties with Colombian grain importers. The Arkansas Farm Bureau intends to send a follow-up delegation of producers to Colombia this fall. Colombia imports more than 6 million metric tons (236 million bushels) of corn, barley, sorghum, wheat and soybean meal annually.

Until 2008, Colombia was the fifth-largest market for U.S. coarse grains, which had been the beneficiary of Colombia’s growing needs for imports. However, prior to the U.S.-Colombia FTA, U.S. market share for coarse grains had fallen from more than 80 percent to less than 20 percent. With the passage of the Colombia – U.S. FTA, the Arkansas Farm Bureau and the Council are looking forward to regaining U.S. market share by working closely with the Colombian poultry industry and promoting U.S. origin grains.