New Buyers From Japan Visit U.S. To See Production, Export Process

To showcase the quality of the current corn crop, along with U.S. corn production and supply, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) hosted a team from Japan this week in the states. The group was comprised of relatively newer customers, so the Council used this opportunity to share the basics of corn production and distribution with buyers.

“The participants are feed millers and wet millers responsible for procurement, quality control and processing in their companies. They handle corn everyday but have not visited corn fields and distribution facilities,” said Tommy Hamamoto, USGC director in Japan. “This experience is expected to enhance their understanding of U.S. corn and help them purchase U.S. corn with more confidence.”

The team started its journey in Washington, D.C., at the Council’s headquarters, where participants obtained an overview of grain and corn production, handling and exports. The team also discussed the Council’s sustainability efforts, including the Corn Sustainability Assurance Protocol (CSAP), an effort to offer international corn buyers in export markets insights into U.S. corn production sustainability practices.

To witness production in practice, the team then traveled to Minnesota. While there, the buyers met with several Council members, ranging from a growers association to a biotechnology company to export facilities. These tours provided educational background on U.S. corn, highlighting the way U.S. growers and agribusinesses work together to produce and distribute the high-quality commodity.

“Through the combination of visits to farms, elevators and agricultural research facilities, the team understood the integrity and robustness of the U.S. corn industry,” Hamamoto said.

The team closed out its trip by traveling to Seattle where the group visited an export elevator that sends corn directly to Japan.

By seeing firsthand the corn production process from ground to sea, the group of new buyers can return to Japan with a better understanding of the dedication the U.S. has to feeding and fueling its partners around the world through the high-quality corn crop grown in the states.

“The Council plans to continue inviting teams consisting of young-generation corn industry officials to the U.S. to keep Japan as a long-term loyal customer of U.S. corn even in the increasingly competitive global corn market,” Hamamoto said.