International grain buyers are fanning out across America to gain information, assess the current U.S. corn crop, explore the availability of other grains and build relationships that lead to future sales. This comes on the heels of the Export Exchange conference in Minneapolis – where more than 200 international buyers and end-users met with U.S. suppliers and heard from industry and government leaders about the near- and long-term prospects for U.S. export capacity. U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Tom Sleight says everyone present recognized that this will be a challenging year. He says that’s why the international buyers are so eager to talk with U.S. producers about their intentions and prospects for next year.

Teams from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Mexico and Taiwan visited U.S. farms, agribusinesses and export terminals before the event in Minneapolis. Teams from Japan, Europe and China – among others – hit the road at the end of the conference. Sleight says it’s one thing to sit in a conference room and hear about how U.S. producers always bounce back strong. He says there is no substitute for the ground truth that comes from getting out in the field and talking directly to farmers and exporters.

The Grains Council says many Export Exchange participants expressed a continuing preference for U.S. grains due to the consistency and quality of the grain and the transparency and reliability of the U.S. marketing and delivery systems. While the drought is going to impact drought and availability – the Council says the buyers are looking forward to a better crop next year and a U.S. export sector that comes back strong.