USGC Releases 2021/2022 Corn Export Cargo Quality Report

The average aggregate quality of U.S. corn samples tested for the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) 2021/2022 Corn Export Cargo Quality Report released this week was better than or equal to U.S. No. 2 on all grade factors.

“As foreign buyers decide what their purchasing contracts will look like and determine what their corn for feed, food and industrial uses may be, clearly understanding this year’s corn quality information is vitally important,” said USGC Chairman Chad Willis. “This report – along with its companion, the Corn Harvest Quality Report – allows stakeholders to see how this year’s exports compare with previous years so they can make informed purchasing decisions.”

The report is based on 430 export cargo samples collected from corn shipments undergoing federal inspection and grading processes at export terminals. It also provides information on grading, handling and how U.S. corn is moved and controlled through export channels.

Average test weight found by the analysis was higher than in 2020/2021 and the five-year average, with nearly 99.8 percent of samples at or above the minimum requirements for U.S. No. 1 grade corn, indicating overall good quality. Chemical composition indicated protein concentration higher than 2020/2021 and the five-year average with lower starch and higher oil concentrations than the previous year. The exports had lower average stress cracks and higher average percent of whole kernels and horneous endosperm than in 2020/2021 and the five-year average. All but two export samples tested below the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) action level for aflatoxins and 100 percent of the samples tested below advisory levels for deoxynivalenol (DON) or vomitoxin.

The export cargo quality report is a companion to the 2021/2022 Corn Harvest Quality Report that provides information about the quality of the most recent U.S. corn crop at harvest as it enters the international merchandising channels.

Both reports provide reliable information on U.S. corn quality from the farm to the customer based on transparent and consistent methodology, offering an early view of grading factors established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), moisture content and other characteristics not reported elsewhere. The reports identify any noticeable changes occurring between these two time periods.

The Council will roll out the new results in a series of crop quality seminars around the world beginning with one in North Asia (South Korea, Japan and Taiwan) on April 26 and more in Panama, Honduras, Guatemala and Colombia in May. These outreach activities help establish clear expectations with buyers and end-users regarding the quality of corn this marketing year.

“To help fulfill this mission, the Council offers this report as a service to our partners as part of its mission to develop markets, enable trade and improve lives,” Willis said. “Developing a report of this scope and breadth in a timely manner allows us to do our part in furthering global food security and mutual economic benefit while assisting our valued trading partners in making well-informed decisions about the crop they are considering.”

Read both reports on grains.org.