By: Wennie Liu, U.S. Grains Council Dairy Program Manager in China

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) hosted a team of Chinese dairy managers in the United States this week to learn firsthand about modern U.S. dairy practices from U.S. producers.

The visit included stops at large-scale U.S. dairy operations in California, the World Dairy Expo and the University of Wisconsin for a short course on modern dairy production practices. The team also visited ethanol plants, where U.S. distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are produced, and U.S. corn farms in Wisconsin.

The goal of these meetings was to improve the dairy producers’ capacity to compete in their industry and ultimately expand their operations, which could result in an increase in demand for U.S. coarse grains and co-products.

Right now, China’s livestock industry, including its dairy sector, is rapidly growing and modernizing. However, there is still room for growth as China’s per capita animal protein consumption is well below the levels of more advanced Asian economies. As the shift towards more meat, eggs and dairy happens in China, U.S. farmers will have an opportunity for export growth.

To this end, the Council has been assisting the Chinese dairy industry in modernizing into consolidated, large dairies for more than a decade. One tool the Council has utilized has been its highly-regarded Sino-U.S. Dairy Management Training Center that introduces modern dairy practices and technologies to China’s up-and-coming dairy managers. In addition, it helps build demand for U.S. corn, whole corn silage, DDGS and sorghum through education on how to best utilize these feed ingredients and targeted promotional activities outside of the training center courses.

Team members for this week’s travel were selected based on past participation in the Sino-U.S. Dairy Training Management Center programs as well as past utilization of U.S. feed ingredients. These participants were able to build on the concepts they learned from the training program and expand their horizons to include new technologies that the U.S. dairy industry is already employing.

This team is an annual event that the Council sponsors as China’s dairy industry continues to modernize and become more efficient. In addition, the Council will also continue to provide targeted informational programs for Chinese dairy producers to improve their understanding of the feeding value of U.S. coarse grains and co-products.

Click here to view more photos of this team.