"It is important for our customers to know and understand just what happened throughout the crop year," said Deb Keller, U.S. Grains Council at-large director. "And being there, meeting face-to-face with our end-users, engaging in year-long conversations, keeps us part of the game."
Last week, USGC representatives traveled throughout Mexico to present the findings of the Council's 2013/2014 Corn Export Cargo Quality Report to importers and end-users.
Keller, along with her colleague Wayne Humphreys of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, familiarized Mexican customers with their on-farm practices and explained the conditions of the past year's U.S. corn harvest and handling system.
"Buyers expressed concerns about the 2013 U.S. corn crop specifically regarding the moisture content, stress cracks and lack of available mycotoxin tests desired," Humphreys said. "It's now my job and the responsibility of the U.S. corn industry to address these concerns and improve upon the reputation of the U.S. farmer to produce a high-quality, reliable product."