A team of buyers and nutritionists from Peru’s livestock industries visited Minnesota last week to learn about the distiller’s dried grains (DDGS) production process and usage in poultry and cattle diets.

Organized in partnership with the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) and U.S. Grains Council (USGC), the all-inclusive tour brought the group from the corn farm to the ethanol plant to the livestock farm and feed mills.

Already a top-five importer of American corn, Peru is a rising market for DDGS. The tour was a great opportunity for mid-sized Peruvian producers to see DDGS production up close and have questions answered by both researchers and producers who use DDGS with their livestock.

Day one started at Highwater Ethanol in Lamberton with a tour to learn about the production of DDGS as an ethanol co-product. From there, the group traveled 15 minutes west to Landuyt Land & Livestock where Mike Landuyt, who is also President of Minnesota Cattlemen’s Association, answered questions about cattle nutrition and husbandry practices in his700-head finishing facility. The group ended their day at the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus for a short course on DDGS nutrition covering both cattle and poultry disciplines.

(Highwater Ethanol CEO Brian Kletsche led the tour focused on DDGS production)

(Mike Landuyt, owner of Landuyt Land & Livestock, answered questions from the group)

On day two, the Peru delegation traveled to the farm of Chad and Krista Willis where extended family and staff from Central Counties Cooperative offered knowledge about sustainable farming practices, grain handling, and storage for export markets like Peru. The group received a state-of-the art feed mill tour at Farm Services Elevator in Willmar before traveling to Life-Science Innovations, a leading company that supports biotechnology, engineering, genetics and agricultural interests for the poultry industry.

Before leaving Minnesota, U.S. Grains Council organized business-to-business meetings with important industry partners to provide opportunities for the delegation to explore gaining access to U.S. feed products. 

As part of its effort to build export markets, MCGA often works with USGC to bring trade delegations from across the globe to Minnesota’s ag sector. In October, government officials from the Middle East and northern Africa toured Minnesota’s ethanol industry and the corn farmers who provide the feedstock. Learn more about that tour here.