\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The rest of the world is running a race, and they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re running to win,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd said U.S. Grains Council Chairman Wendell Shauman. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And so are we.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd<\/p>\n
Addressing the Council\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 2012 International Marketing Conference (IMC) in Panama City, Panama, Shauman emphasized that 95 percent of the world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s population now lives outside the United States and that the global middle class is driving food demand. Noting that corn last summer topped $10 a bushel in China, Shauman celebrated the historic opportunity presented to U.S. producers by this new global demand – but at the same time, he acknowledged that producers around the world perceive the same opportunity and are ramping up production to compete for market share.<\/p>\n
Shauman outlined the Council\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s global vision for competing in a dynamic new market environment. The Council late last year adopted a new strategic plan designed to support more aggressive engagement in trade policy issues. The Council has also embraced a new strategic communications initiative and is repositioning its global assets to stay ahead of emerging markets around the world. With 25-30 percent of U.S. farm receipts being generated by imports, and with China emerging as the top international customer for U.S. agriculture, Shauman pledged that the Council would continue to work aggressively to maintain U.S. leadership in global exports of feed grains.<\/p>\n
Shauman\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s focus was matched by the nearly 300 attendees \u00e2\u20ac\u201c an all-time attendance record – at the 2012 IMC. Representing state checkoff organizations and U.S. agribusinesses, the conference attendees focused their efforts on A-Team meetings that reviewed the Council\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s progress and set goals for future action. Each year, the A-Team reports from the meeting become a key element in developing the Council\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Unified Export Strategy for the coming year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The rest of the world is running a race, and they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re running to win,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd said U.S. Grains Council Chairman Wendell Shauman. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And so are we.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd Addressing the Council\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 2012 International Marketing Conference (IMC) in Panama City, Panama, Shauman emphasized that 95 percent of the world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s population now lives outside the United States and that the … <\/p>\n