“What we heard from buyers was essentially, ‘this is great information, and we want more,'” said U.S. Grains Council Chairman Don Fast. “Since the Corn Harvest Quality Report was developed to serve buyers, it’s good to know that we’re hitting the mark.”

Fast and Bill Kubecka, USGC sorghum sector director, participated recently in the rollout of the Harvest Report 2012/13 at a series of nine well-attended buyer seminars in Colombia and Mexico, two countries with a rapidly growing middle class and significant growth potential for U.S. coarse grains and DDGS exports. In only its second year, the Council’s Corn Harvest Quality Report has already become a recognized and trusted resource for buyers interested in sourcing from the United States.

The Harvest Report 2012/13 presents detailed qualitative information on the current U.S. corn crop. “Since 2009, due to perceived quality issues with the U.S. crop, Colombia has been trying to diversify its suppliers,” noted Fast, “and in both countries, recent price differentials have opened the door to South American competitors.

“But buyers also expressed a clear interest in continuing to buy U.S. corn, sorghum, and DDGS. The Corn Harvest Quality Report responds directly to lingering quality concerns. It puts us ahead of the competition. These markets will respond when the drought ends and U.S. production rebounds.”

Fast and Kubecka were accompanied by Alvaro Cordero, manager of global trade in the Council’s Washington, D.C., office, Julio Hernandez, USGC Mexico director, and Kurt Shultz, USGC regional director for the Americas. The Corn Harvest Quality Report is also being presented in other key markets by the Council’s global international staff. The second annual Corn Export Cargo Quality Report, which details the U.S. crop at the point of export shipment, will be published this Spring.