CONTINENTAL — A Central American team of grain buyers and other people connected to the agricultural industry visited Dennis Vennekotter’s farm in rural Continental to get a better understanding of farming in the U.S.
The team is part of the Export Exchange 2016 seminar which will be in Detroit next week. The meeting was held so the Central American participants could gain a better understanding of the U.S. grain export value chain and to learn how U.S. grain is produced, marketed and graded. For the U.S. growers, it was a chance to sell their product internationally.
“They are interested in the logistics,” said Tadd Nicholson, executive director at Ohio Corn & Wheat. “They want to know the whole process.
Ohio Corn & Wheat director of market development Brad Moffitt said it is a from of relationship building. The team also spent the earlier part of the day visiting Glandorf Feed in Glandorf.
“They like to see the grain they will be potentially buying,” Moffitt said. “They are interested in how the corn, the DDGs (dried distillers’ grains) and ethanol are made.”
Vennekotter said he enjoyed having the chance to show the quality of product.
“The corn we grow right here is in a world market,” Vennekotter said. “We have an abundance of corn right now, which is good for buyers. A lot of people will just sell it locally. There is a whole world out there that wants to feed its people or its livestock.”
Vennkotter said the foreign participants took notice in the advanced equipment used in U.S. farming and the use of cover crops for ecological purposes.
Javier Carrillo, one of the members of the Central American team, is an international trade specialist from Panama. He monitors cargo that passes through the Panama Canal. He said he was impressed with technological advances used in the U.S.
“It helps us when we see the products that will be shipped through at their original location,” Carrillo said. “We can see where everything starts. This is all new to me.”
Daniel Cespedes works for Melo in Panama, which includes a division that produces eggs.
“Our company is a John Deere representative in Panama,” Cespedes said. “I was very impressed with the equipment and the quality of the corn. I was impressed with what the yields are on a piece of land.”
Nicholson said the meeting strengthens bonds between suppliers and partner countries. He said these connections help out U.S. industry for years to come.
The group also featured visitors from El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala.
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Lance Mihm photo
