Leaders from the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) traveled to Tanzania and South Africa this week to assess the supply and demand situation for food and agricultural products in the Sub-Saharan Africa region and look for long-term opportunities for the Council to engage there.
The group traveling included Chairman Alan Tiemann, a farmer from Nebraska; Vice Chairman Chip Councell, a farmer from Maryland; President and CEO Tom Sleight; Senior Director of Global Programs Cary Sifferath; Manager of Global Development Programs Anne Zaczek; and consultant Heiko Köster, who helps manage USGC programs in both countries.
Their first stop, in Tanzania, included visits to the Tanzanian Central Veterinary Laboratory and the USGC office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; meetings with the local poultry industry including farm tours and a stop at the Tanzania Poultry Show; discussions with poultry associations; and meetings with the feed industry in the area.
“With its large and rapidly growing populations and enormous resource base, Sub-Saharan Africa has the potential to be an important market in the future,� Tiemann said. “During our travel, we examined how the Council can continue to be a part of the area’s development in addition to its ongoing work in Tanzania.�
In the spring of 2014, the Council launched the Tanzania Food For Progress (FFP) program to develop the poultry and feed industries in that country. The program is fully funded by a USDA Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) Food for Progress grant.
The objective of the program is to sustainably enhance the capacity of the commercial poultry and feed milling industries in Tanzania by helping local leaders develop a professional poultry association and self-sustaining feed quality lab.
“While Sub-Saharan Africa is not a major feed grains market, its large population and open-ended growth potential continue to command our attention,� Sleight said. “Our program in Tanzania was one of our first steps toward helping this market find a sustainable path forward. This week, we looked for new opportunities for USGC engagement in this region’s burgeoning markets.�
To this end, the group also traveled to South Africa, where they found a potential near-term opportunity for exports.
“Right now, El Niño is in full force in South Africa, which has created a severe drought,� Sleight said. “Their corn production has dropped considerably, which may create opportunities for sales of yellow and white corn and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) into this market.�
With their return to the United States Thursday, the mission participants will begin to determine how best to serve the particular needs of this market based on the information they gathered.
Click here to view more photos from this mission.