Three officials from one of South Korea’s largest grain and livestock concerns, NOFI, have just completed a tour of Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa to see firsthand how adverse weather conditions have impacted the source of corn they have favored with major contracts.

While the officials voiced concern with high moisture and low test weights, they announced plans to make this the first of regular visits to this important source of grain they employ for animal feed. NOFI officials will come to the Midwest twice a year, at planting and harvest times, in the coming years.

Mr. Woo-bok Lee, Manager, Foreign Trade Team, Nonghyup Feed Inc., also known as NOFI, led the team of buyers. In Minnesota, they visited the POET Energy ethanol plant in Glenwood and then toured Jerry Demmer’s farm in Clarks Grove. Demmer had hoped to show them harvest combining in action but the weather didn’t cooperate. Instead, the Trade Team saw grain drying and storage. Demmer is a member of the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council.

“This is a very important time to meet with overseas buyers,” said Demmer. “We want to show them that we know high quality feed starts in the field, and to show that we are doing the best job with the corn that we have and the conditions we are facing. I believe every farmer works hard to assure quality control. When the customer, especially the overseas customer, can come over and see first hand any farming operation in the Midwest and see what his products start from, it gives an excellent opportunity to assure them about the quality of what they are buying.”

NOFI buys as much as 2,000 metric tons of grain every month from the U.S. and other world grain producers, NOFI officials told KIMT, the Mason City, Iowa CBS television affiliate.

“It is a global market, and it is very competitive, so we need to be communicating with customers and doing the best job we can telling them about the high quality of our product, even under challenges like we are facing this season,” said Demmer.

See the KIMT report on the NOFI visit at:

http://www.kimt.com/mediacenter/local.aspx