MCR&PC chair joins grain export mission to Canada
Last week, Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council (MCR&PC) Chair Duane Epland, who farms in Twin Lakes, joined the U.S. Grains Council’s Grain Export Mission to Toronto and Ottawa. He joined farmer-leaders from other states and USGC staff to meet with key end-users, council partners, trading company representatives, and U.S. and local government officials.
The mission began with a visit to a feed mill followed by a visit to the Ontario Agribusiness Association, which represents the province’s crop input, grain, and feed industry. The next day, the group met with representatives of Canada’s department of natural resources and agriculture and agri-food.
On the final day of the mission, the group met with staff from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service in Ottawa, two Canadian senators, and representatives of Canada’s department of environment and climate change.
Canada is a major export destination for U.S. ethanol and other feed grains due to the USMCA trade agreement and its proximity to northern U.S. states. In the 2023-24 marketing year, the U.S. exported $1.5 billion worth of ethanol, $517 million worth of corn, and $183 million worth of DDGS to Canada.
Learn more about USGC’s efforts in Canada at grains.org.
