Iowa Corn Farmers Host Ethanol Summit of the Asia Pacific Tour Trade Team

Following the Ethanol Summit of the Asia-Pacific in Minneapolis this week the U.S. Grains Council will hold post Summit tours for participants to be able to see the full production and value of U.S. ethanol. One such team will be arriving in Iowa this week to see U.S. corn and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) production and supply. The delegation will consist of high-level government and industry representatives from Korea, Taiwan, China, and Singapore. They will visit corn farms, ethanol plants, feed mills, fuel retailers, elevators and co-ops.

The Asia-Pacific region represents substantial market potential for increased U.S. ethanol exports. While current ethanol usage remains low, it’s the fastest growing fuel consuming region in the world. Air quality concerns required these countries to look to blending more ethanol into their fuel supply for its high octane and low-carbon advantages in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving air quality.

On Thursday, May 24 the team will tour the Absolute Energy ethanol plant in St. Ansgar, Iowa. From there, they will visit the farm of Iowa Corn Promotion Board Director Chris Edgington, a farmer from St. Ansgar who raises corn and soybeans, and operates a swine finishing operation. The next stop will be the Hansen Ag Learning Center at Iowa State University in Ames where they will learn about the latest DDGS research with Dr. John Patience.

Other stops will include the Iowa Corn office where the team will receive an overview of the organization and a briefing on Iowa’s ethanol industry, the Magellan Fuel Terminal in Pleasant Hill, Key Coop Agronomy and Feed Mill Center in Grinnell, and the family farm of Iowa Corn Promotion Board Director Roger Zylstra, a farmer from Lynnville who raises corn and soybeans, finishing hogs and cattle.

Iowa Corn Promotion Board invests checkoff dollars with the U.S. Grain Council to build demand for corn in all forms for export in more than 50 countries around the world.

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The Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB), works to develop and defend markets, fund research, and provide education about corn and corn products to create opportunities for long-term Iowa corn grower profitability. For more information, visit iowacorn.org.

The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including ethanol and distiller’s dried grains with solubes (DDGS). The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture's profitability. Founded in 1960, the Council is a private, non-profit corporation with 10 international offices and programs in more than 50 countries. Its unique membership includes producer organizations and agribusinesses with a common interest in developing export markets. See more at www.grains.org.