INDIANAPOLIS – Ranked the seventh largest market for U.S. agricultural products, Taiwan is one of the world’s largest consumers on U.S. agricultural products on a per capita basis. Indiana Corn Marketing Council is hosting a Taiwanese trade delegation today and tomorrow to show them the progress of this year’s corn harvest at two Hoosier farms.

Introducing Taiwanese trade partners to corn farmers, as well as other agricultural representatives in the state, is an important part of the visit to Indiana. The team of Taiwanese corn buyers will be in Indiana on Oct. 24 through 27 after attending the Export Exchange in Seattle, Wash. earlier in the week.

“Our international trade relationships are important to the health and growth of Indiana’s agriculture industry and economy,” said ICMC President Dennis Maple who is welcoming the delegation to his family’s farm in Greentown, Ind. “Hosting our Taiwanese trade partners offers us an opportunity to show the bounty of Indiana agriculture and the quality grains we offer.”

Taiwan has consistently imported more than $3.5 billion of U.S. farm products annually. Since 2009, Taiwan has received an average of 49 percent of their corn imports from the United States.

The team is one of 18 that has toured the Midwest in the last two weeks either preceding or following Export Exchange 2014, a three-day conference to bring together U.S. sellers of coarse grains and co-products with nearly 200 top international buyers.

This year’s Export Exchange event was held Oct. 20-22 in Seattle, Wash., sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), both of which Indiana is a member. The goal of the biennial event is to help the two groups make connections that will result in sales in the current marketing year and long-term business relationships.

The attendee list reflects the diversity of customers for U.S. corn, barley, sorghum and co-products, including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Foreign participants came from 41 countries, including 27 registrants hailing from China, 24 from Japan and 21 from Mexico. Nearly 200 attendees were from the United States.

Indiana is an active member of the Council, a private, non-profit organization that works to develop exports in more than 50 countries from 10 worldwide offices and its Washington, D.C., headquarters. Export Exchange is a hallmark program of the Council, setting the stage for future work overseas in all major coarse grains markets.

“The purpose of Export Exchange is to bring buyers and sellers together,” said Ron Gray, USGC chairman, whose family farms in Illinois. “The harvest is still coming in, and we are headed for a record corn crop. This is a great buying opportunity for our overseas customers, not just of corn but of all the coarse grains.”

During their visit to Indiana, the Taiwanese team will learn the most updated information and trends on production, inspection, quality, applications of U.S. corn and DDGS, including low-oil DDGS. Through the visits, USGC is also hoping that the team can establish new relationships with U.S. traders and suppliers.

Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Ted McKinney hosted the group at the Statehouse to talk about the importance of agriculture to Indiana’s economy and the ability of Hoosier farmers to consistently and reliably provide high quality products to our customers in Taiwan and around the world. Lt. Gov. Ellspermann visited Taiwan in July on a trade mission focused on promoting Indiana agricultural goods and services.

The delegation will also visit a grain facility, ethanol plant and other agricultural businesses during their stay in Indiana.

For more information about the Export Exchange, visit www.exportechange.org.

The Indiana Corn Marketing Council was established by the Indiana General Assembly to promote the interest of corn growers in the state and manage corn checkoff funds. The Council is composed of 17 voting producer directors and seven appointed industry, and government representatives. For more information, visit www.incorn.org.

This communication was funded with corn checkoff dollars.

Source: Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Inside INdiana Business