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Missouri Corn Grower Takes Part In International Trade Mission
(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.)–Missouri corn farmer Rob Korff, of Norborne, Mo., returned Saturday from a trade mission to Japan, China and Vietnam where he witnessed firsthand the use of U.S. corn and corn co-coproducts. Encouraging further partnerships with foreign agricultural producers, Korff joined growers from seven other states on the 2011 U.S. Grains Council (USGC) Corn Mission.
“This was a tremendous learning opportunity,” noted Korff. “These countries represent a vibrant market for U.S. corn farmers. Japan is the number one export market for our corn, but China is quickly gaining speed. What surprised me most was the incredible demand for protein in China and Vietnam. This is a strong indicator of the growing global consumption of feed grains like corn and soybean meal.”
During the 10-day mission, the team toured various agricultural end users, visiting a hog farm, feed manufacturer and port facilities. The delegation also met with agricultural leaders, learned about the current use of U.S. corn and corn co-products and discussed market expansion opportunities for America’s grain farmers.
“I was really impressed with the U.S. Grains Council and the positions they have in these countries,” said Korff. “The relationships they have developed with the feed buyers, grain importers and farmers, combined with these face-to-face meetings, are priceless in marketing our products overseas. Continuing the conversations and maintaining these relationships will help move U.S. farmers forward as demand for our product continues to grow.”
Korff is chairman of the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council and serves as a board member for the Missouri Corn Growers Association.
Other members of the mission included:
- Bruce Wetzel, Director, Texas Corn Producer Board
- Pat Feldpausch, President, Corn Marketing Program of Michigan
- Tom Mueller, Director, Illinois Corn Marketing Board
- Randy Woodruff, Director, Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board
- Paul Herringshaw, Vice Chairman, Ohio Corn Marketing Program
- Kurt Hora, Director, Iowa Corn Growers Association
- Kelly Brunkhorst, Ag Program Manager, Nebraska Corn Board
- Nancy Kavazanjian, Communications Director, Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board, Inc.
The 2011 Corn Mission was made possible in part by matching funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service. The Missouri Corn Merchandising Council is a longstanding supporter of the U.S. Grains Council and its mission to expand grain marketing opportunities abroad. To learn more about Missouri Corn, visit www.mocorn.org. For more information on grain export efforts, click on www.grains.org.
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Photo Caption: (l-r) Marri Carrow, manager of Communications, USGC; Bruce Wetzel, director, Texas Corn Producer Board; and Missouri Corn Merchandising Council Chairman Rob Korff visited the office of Feng Boxing, Vice General Manager, Guangzhou Lizhi Agricultural Co., Ltd, Guangzhou, China during the 2011 U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission.
Photo Credit: U.S. Grains Council
Photo Caption: Missouri Corn Merchandising Council Chairman Rob Korff of Norborne, Mo., (right) and Illinois Corn Marketing Board Director Tom Muller, check out the quality of U.S. origin corn at Zennoh silo, Kushiro Port, Hokkaido. Kushiro is one of eight ports designated by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation for improvement to accommodate larger vessels.
Photo Credit: U.S. Grains Council
Photo Caption: (l-r) Hiroko Sakashita, associate director, USGC Japan; Tommy Hamamoto, director, USGC Japan: Kurt Hora, Iowa; Rob Korff, Missouri Corn Merchandising Council; Randy Woodruff, director, Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board; Nancy Kavazanjian, communications director, Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board; Pat Feldpausch, president, Corn Marketing Program of Michigan; Paul Herringshaw, vice chairman, Ohio Corn Marketing Program; Bruce Wetzel, director, Texas Corn Producer Board; Tom Mueller, director, Illinois Corn Marketing Board; Kelly Brunkhorst, Ag Program Manager, Nebraska Corn Board. The group was on their way to taste noodles at the Yamakyu noodle shop where, thanks to promotional efforts of the U.S. Grains Council in Japan, the company is utilizing a 20 percent corn flour mix in their products.
Photo Credit: U.S. Grains Council