In-Person Conference Leads To U.S. Feed Grains Sales In The Middle East

The U.S. Grains Council’s Middle East, Africa, and Europe regional office used a combination of
Market Access Program (MAP) and Agriculture Trade Promotion (ATP) program funds to host a
corn crop quality seminar in Dubai in January 2022, where regional buyers and end-users
gathered for the first such seminar in person in two years.

In addition to reported sales of more than $27 million, attendees participated in lectures on the
use of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and corn co-products in animal feeds that
were intended to help develop a preference for the products over the long term. Topics included
nutritional profiles of the co-products depending on the species being fed and maximum
inclusion rates.

The highlight of the seminar was the Council’s recently published 2021/2022 Corn Harvest
Quality Report, which is vitally important to influencing buyers’ decision-making when
purchasing U.S. corn. Approximately 50 regional importers and end-users from Egypt, Israel,
Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) attended the
two-day program.

The program began with comments from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s (FAS)
regional agricultural attaché in the UAE, followed by a presentation on the findings of the
Council’s report. The second day of the seminar focused on the value of DDGS and corn coproducts
in feed formulation, specifically in the diets of large animals, poultry and aquaculture.

Workshops such as this bring U.S. exporters together with regional grain buyers to discuss
prospects for the upcoming year while also allowing the Council to continue expanding its
influence with importers in the region by highlighting the added value of U.S. corn and corn coproducts.

Following the conference, attendees reported purchases of more than 80,000 metric tons
(3,149,440 bushels) of U.S. corn and corn co-products valued at more than $27 million. The
Council invested $107,000 of ATP and $80,000 of MAP funds to execute the program. The
resulting $27 million worth of business yielded a return on investment of over $144 per $1 of
total funds invested.