The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and its partners are working to aggressively promote U.S. ethanol exports with programs focused on the priority markets of China, India, Japan and Mexico, USGC Chairman Alan Tiemann told corn state stakeholders at the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA’s) Corn Congress this week in Washington, D.C.
Tiemann, a farmer from Nebraska, provided his update during the Congress’ Wednesday general session, attended by NCGA delegates and farmers in town to set policy priorities before meeting with Members of Congress on Capitol Hill.
He described the strategy underlying the outreach being undertaken by USGC, Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), with the first tier of countries selected because they have growing fuel demand and significant air quality concerns. This combination makes U.S. ethanol, which has established greenhouse gas emissions benefits, an attractive option.
Activities the groups are undertaking vary by market based on local needs and include information sharing; facilitating relationship building within country and regional energy sectors; and engagement with stakeholders working on policy issues including fuel mandates.
Outreach is also happening in additional markets including Colombia, Peru, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Canada.
“We are excited to be focused on this vibrant, vital and growing area for U.S. feed grains promotion, ethanol exports,” Tiemann said. “While our traditional feed grain marketing and market development programs continue in 50 countries, this is a critical new piece of work for us and our industry.”
USGC is the feed grain’s industry’s export market development organization, working globally to promote products including U.S. corn, ethanol and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), which is produced along with fuel by ethanol plants. The group works closely with NCGA, the corn industry’s domestic advocacy association, on trade, biotechnology, sustainability and consumer outreach issues.
“I was grateful for the invitation to update the Corn Congress delegates this week on our programs, especially our pivot to global market development for ethanol,” Tiemann said.
“There is significant potential for new demand for U.S. corn for ethanol we export or to be exported to help other countries produce their own ethanol. We are excited to discover and build these opportunities and to engage throughout the corn industry to get this work done.”
Farmer-leaders from NCGA will also attend and speak at the USGC’s summer delegates meeting scheduled for next week in Louisville, Kentucky. More about that session is available here.
More about the grain industry’s ethanol export programs is available here.