Taiwan trade delegation visits Minnesota farm, signs letter of intent to purchase U.S. corn

Before an agriculture goodwill trade mission team participated in a signing ceremony in Minneapolis, they stopped at the Roger Toquam family farm on Sunday near Blooming Prairie to see firsthand what Minnesota agriculture is all about.

Roger and his family are fourth-generation farmers who grow corn and soybeans and raise hogs. The Toquams also incorporate several conservation practices like buffer strips, wetlands restoration and manure management plants to protect area land, soil and water resources.

“Hosting groups like this one is a tremendous opportunity to showcase the good work of Minnesota farmers and strengthen relationships with our foreign customers,” Toquam said. “It was a great visit.”

The Toquam family provided an in-depth tour and overview of their operation, answering questions along the way. There was even an opportunity for the Taiwan team to take selfies in the corn and soybean fields and climb up into the seat of a combine and tractor.

On Monday afternoon, the Taiwan delegation signed a letter of intent during a ceremony in Minneapolis to purchase a large amount of U.S. corn in 2016-17. Participants in the ceremony included Gov. Mark Dayton, Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson and Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) President Bruce Peterson.

For the 2014-15 marketing year, Taiwan was the sixth-largest market for U.S. corn and a top buyer for U.S. distillers dried grains (DDGS), a high-protein by-product of the ethanol-making process that is used as a livestock feed.

The Taiwan team visit wrapped up a busy month for MCGA hosting foreign trade teams. A Middle Eastern and North Africa team visited a farm in Western Minnesota last weekend and a DDGS team from Japan met with MCGA researchers at the University of Minnesota on Sept. 14.