Grainnet

Danville—Hoosier growers and the international buyers of their products will meet face-to-face this month, thanks to a series of tours and farm visits organized through regional cooperative Co-Alliance LLP.

The three-day tour event welcomes dozens of grain buyers, company representatives and government officials from Korea, Taiwan and several North African nations, and provides them with a closer look at American agriculture.

The group will already be in Indiana to attend the U.S. Grains Council’s International DDG Conference in Indianapolis on October 19-21.

Featured stops on the tour have been selected across Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with the objective to help increase awareness of all types of grain production (including new DDGs, such as hi-protein fractionated DDGs), quality, application and shipment of U.S. DDGs, understand the advantages of using U.S. DDGs, and form relationships with reliable suppliers in order to increase imports of U.S. DDGs among other nations.

Co-Alliance is assisting specifically with the visits to Indiana farms and facilities.

"Agronomy, grain marketing, and swine and animal nutrition are core businesses for Co-Alliance, so our local facilities are fortunately very well suited to give these guests a comprehensive view of agricultural production," says Co-Alliance CEO Kevin A. Still.

"We're extremely excited to partner with local growers in the communities we serve, and to showcase Indiana agriculture in such a positive way."

Developing export relationships for the benefit of local growers is a key initiative for the farmer-owned partnership known as Co-Alliance.

Grain Division Manager John Brammeier says, "Years ago, we saw potential in the containers from Asian countries that were unloaded here and would go back empty.

"Today, Co-Alliance facilities consistently load those containers with American-grown corn, beans and DDGs to meet the exploding global demand."

Company-wide, Co-Alliance markets approximately 60 million bushels of grain annually.

The organization operates 12 regional grain elevators and is committed to expanding storage, investing in local ethanol production and finding new ways to help growers market products successfully.

Through the company's rapidly growing export initiative, containers are loaded at the Union Mills elevator in LaPorte County, and travel via truck and rail to the West Coast for loading onto ships bound for overseas markets.

To keep pace with export demand as new relationships are created, Brammeier indicates that Co-Alliance is now investigating East Coast shipping opportunities as well.

Scott Amendt, Co-Alliance's Commodity Merchandising Manager, is extremely pleased to represent the company at the conference in Indianapolis and also on the tours as a traveling host.

"I love doing this," he says with enthusiasm.

"I work all day to build these relationships, and we're in an excellent position to take advantage of opportunities for local growers."

Amendt brings years of experience in global marketing to his job, and was hired specifically to initiate these contracts, establish prices, arrange logistics and coordinate U.S. transportation.

"Local farmers who market through Co-Alliance are literally doing business with customers around the globe.

"This month, growers and buyers actually get to shake hands," he concludes.

For more information, call 317-745-4491.

See Related Websites/Articles:

• Co-Alliance LLP

more GRAIN NEWS...