IGP Course Enhances Understanding Of Grain Procurement For Mexican Buyers

This week, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is hosting a group of feed millers, grain traders, swine and poultry producers and procurement managers from Mexico in the U.S. as they take a grain procurement and purchasing course through Kansas State University’s International Grains Program (IGP).

This course aims to train the group on the mechanics of purchasing raw materials and offer information on the U.S. marketing system, including quality, logistics, contracts arbitration and futures markets.

For years, the Council’s Mexico office has been educating young people across the country on the U.S. advantage in terms of logistics, quality and efficiencies through courses like those conducted by IGP. Like many before this group have done, the Council hopes the knowledge members of this delegation acquire while in Kansas will be applied at their respective operations.

“It is of the Council´s interest to support the training of the new generations who will be occupying the position of their parents in their respective operations, and who already have some experience to carry out the corresponding tasks, seeking continuity and efficiency in the succession. All members of the Mexican team are new to this type of course and are excited to learn about transportation, grain quality, hedging, risk management, logistics, futures and options, so when they get back home, they will put into practice what they learned,” said Patricia Esqueda, USGC senior marketing specialist in Mexico.

In addition to the IGP course, the group had the opportunity to learn more about grain procurement by meeting with those who are a part of the value chain. The delegation visited a farm and a grain terminal while in Kansas, enhancing the knowledge gained in the classroom.

“The last day of the course includes a visit to a farm and bulk terminal. These visits will give the group the opportunity to understand more clearly the factors that influence decision-making regarding the planting of one crop or another, as well as understand the grain marketing and logistics system so they have a broader overview of all the factors that influence the production and marketing of grains around the world,” Esqueda said.

By incorporating delegations like this one in IGP programming, the Council expects them to not only increase their understanding of the U.S. grain marketing system but to also enhance their abilities to competitively procure U.S. grains and other commodities with greater confidence and effectiveness.