US Grains Council reaches out to Western Hemisphere buyers

The 2015-16 Corn Harvest Quality Report by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) was presented to audiences in Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama last week.

The United States is a major exporter of grain to Western Hemisphere countries. The region purchased 13 million metric tons of United States corn as of Jan. 7, with Mexico significantly increasing its import quantity.

“The strong U.S. dollar and full tariff rate quotas in countries like Peru and Colombia are slowing sales of U.S. corn to the region,” Luis Bustamante, USGC's marketing specialist for the Western Hemisphere, said. “But that just means the timing is right for us to promote and educate buyers on the value of U.S. corn and other commodity grains.”

The meetings held last week allowed for the audience to ask questions about the grains and the information presented.

“During these meetings, we provided our customers with information on contract specifications and purchasing power, in addition to answering their questions on quality,” Julio Hernandez, USGC's director in Mexico, said. “This is important as it will improve their perception of U.S. corn and create repeat customers who understand the value of the U.S. marketing system.”

The companion report to the Corn Harvest Quality Report, called the 2015-16 Corn Export Cargo Quality Report, will be available in the spring.