South Korea crop delegation visits MN

Standing in front of his corn crop, Courtland farmer Tim Waibel explained to a group of South Korean grain buyers on Friday the importance of moisture levels when deciding when it’s time for harvest.

“When you start harvesting corn that is 18% moisture, it is easy to get it over-dry,” he said. “And if it’s too wet, it takes too much money in gas and electricity to [dry] it.”

Waibel’s comments came at the end of a two-day tour the South Korean group took of agricultural sites around south-central Minnesota last week. The group also visited the CHS river terminal in Savage, the UFC shuttle terminal in Brownton, CHS headquarters, and the Minnesota Corn office.

The tour was organized by U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC), with in-state support from Minnesota Corn. The goal was to increase confidence among South Korean buyers in U.S. corn, which the council says could lead them to purchase more American corn and corn coproducts.

South Korea has one of the world’s 15 largest economies but is limited in its agriculture production by the fact that about 70% of its land is mountainous, according to USDA. Much of its agricultural land is dedicated to rice production, meaning that the country depends on imports almost all its grains.

The feed industry is South Korea’s primary user of grains, and typically, about 65% of the country’s feed supply is comprised of corn. (Wheat also is used for feed in South Korea, depending on price.) In total, South Korea uses approximately 11.5 million metric tons of corn annually, which is equivalent to 453 million bushels.

Before 2020, the U.S. had approximately 30% to 40% of the annual market share of grains in South Korea. U.S. corn exports to the country dipped to almost zero because of a 2019 regulatory change, but they have rebounded this year back to about 25%, driven by abundant U.S. supplies at competitive prices.

South Korea also uses significant amounts of DDGS in its feed rations—over 1 million metric tons annually. The U.S. owns almost all the country’s DDGS market share.

Visiting the farm

During their tour of the CHS river terminal on Friday, the delegation learned how the facility transfers corn, soybeans, and wheat from trucks onto barges or railcars. They also learned how staff at the facility inspect samples of grain to ensure quality.

In Brownton, the group saw the corn and soybean unloading facilities, toured an empty grain bin, and learned how the facility segregates and ships out grain.

At the Waibel family farm, Tim Waibel explained to the group that he raises corn, soybeans, and hogs with his wife, Mary, and their two sons. The Waibels utilize their hog manure for fertility, he said, and use part of their corn crop to feed their hogs. The rest of the corn goes to the Heartland Corn Products ethanol facility, in which the Waibels are shareholders. They send their soybeans either to an ADM plant about 20 miles away or a crush plant near Mankato.

Waibel said expecting a 70-bushel-per-acre soybean crop and a 250-bushel-per-acre corn crop this year. That would be his best crop ever. He said Minnesota farmers have been able to increase yields in recent years for a variety of reasons, including improved genetics, better on-farm management, and improved drainage. This year, he said, some farmers have been struggling with southern rust, tar spot, and other fungal diseases. Waibel said he’s lucky to be in a “garden spot” in the state—his area hasn’t received too much rain, unlike parts of the state further north.

During the visit, the delegation took selfies in front of Waibel’s corn field and pulled cobs off an outer row to see the crop. After, they went into Waibel’s shop where he showed them his disc ripper, manure spreader, and other implements. There was an audible gasp from the delegation when Waibel told them—through a translator—the cost of his tractor.

To close out the afternoon, some members of the delegation rode in the combine with Waibel as he harvested soybeans. Other members of the delegation rode in a tractor with Mary as she pulled the grain cart alongside Tim.

Minnesota Corn thanks the Waibels for hosting the delegation along with CHS Savage and UFC Brownton for their generous hospitality. We’re proud to support the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council as part of our mission to develop new markets for Minnesota corn farmers.

Learn more about our market development efforts at mncorn.org/utilization.