by Jonathan Eisenthal

A delegation of eleven U.S. farmers headed out Monday on a week long trade mission, organized by the U.S. Grains Council, to meet with agribusiness leaders in China and the Philippines. Their goal is to expand our markets for corn, barley, sorghum, distillers’ grains and ethanol.

Jerry Demmer, a farmer in Clarks Grove, Minnesota, takes part in the mission in his role as secretary of Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council.

Jerry Demmer

“It’s called a GEM mission, a Grain Exports Mission,” says Demmer, who notes that after switching planes in Tokyo, the group touches down in Guangzhou, China. “We’ll be briefed there by the U.S. Grains Council’s China staff, who will highlight how this trade is benefitting both China and us.”

Haid Feed Mill will be the location of talks with China grain consumers, but then the itinerary will take the U.S. delegation to the Machong Port, to see its facilities for offloading corn and DDGs containers.

Wednesday the 13th will see everyone in business attire for a five-hour “Corn and Sorghum Quality Symposium.” Producers will speak about the quality of their products.

At the end of the week, the group will visit a feedmill and dairy farm in the Shanghai region. They wrap up their stay in China with a hotel reception where producers will meet traders who handle U.S. grains in China.