USGC Staff Share Corn Cargo Quality Report, Talk DDGS With Key Buyers In Mexico

Corn quality reports provide buyers with advanced insights on expected grain purchases. Reece Cannady, U.S. Grains Council (USGC) manager of global trade, and Javier Chávez, USGC marketing specialist in Mexico, are visiting with Mexican corn importers this week to discuss the results of the most recent corn export cargo quality report and encourage U.S. imports. This mission continues a resumption of travel by Council staff as pandemic-related travel restrictions in some parts of the world.

The report, released in late May, shows that favorable growing season conditions experienced by the 2020 U.S. crop benefited the quality of the corn assembled for export early in the 2020/2021 marketing year.

During the meetings, Cannady and Chávez are also discussing the competitiveness of U.S. distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in livestock feed rations in Mexico.

“Increasing corn and soybean prices have many looking for alternative feed ingredients,” Cannady said. “While Mexico is the top importer of U.S. DDGS, representing 17 percent of all U.S. DDGS exports, its DDGS purchases were down almost 11 percent in 2019/2020. We hope our conversations this week encourage more buyers to consider this well-priced option.”

The 2020/2021 Corn Export Cargo Quality Report is the second of two reports released by the Council detailing the quality of the 2020 corn crop. It is based on samples taken at the point of loading for international shipment early in the 2020/2021 marketing year. The report and its sister report, the 2020/2021 Corn Harvest Quality Report, provide an early look at the grade factors established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as chemical composition and other quality characteristics not reported elsewhere.

Check out the Council’s social media posts from this week’s meetings in Mexico.