Global Professionals Learn about Oilseed and Grain Purchasing at IGP

Participants gather to learn about oilseed and grain purchasing tools and resources.
USSEC sponsored the Oilseeds and Grain Purchasing Tools and Resources course, held July 9 to 13 at the IGP Institute Conference Center at Kansas State University.
This training hosted 26 professionals from 12 different countries including Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Peru, Colombia, Singapore, Ecuador, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and the United States. This course served as a way to educate international buyers on U.S. soybeans and the value they provide.
“This course is intended for purchasing directors and commodity traders in Latin America to improve all of their risk management and purchasing skills in order to do a better job in buying U.S. soybeans, soybean oil, or soybean meal,” says Carlos Campabadal, feed manufacturing and grain quality management curriculum manager at the IGP Institute.
The topics covered in this course included U.S. Soy in global markets; storage, maintenance tools, and resources on U.S. Soy and grains; concepts for cash and hedging policies; an inside view of the Grain Transportation Report and other U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports; soy from origination to export markets; maritime freights theory; impact of soybean meal based on origin; commodity and ingredient hedging; oilseeds and grain cash market supply alternatives; introduction to technical analysis; U.S. Soy sustainability; and commodity and ingredient hedging.
In addition to the lectures and speakers, participants visited with Kenlon Johannes, administrator and CEO of the Kansas Soybean Commission and Paul O’Trimble, a Kansas soybean farmer. The participants toured the family farm and saw the equipment used to harvest and store soybeans.
Participants were educated on the value chain of U.S. soybeans throughout this course. Marvin Mateo, purchasing and logistics manager at Costa Atlantica, says, “It has really helped me in the risk management side and the day-to-day working with soybean meal.”
“We are always looking forward to providing the technical assistance that is needed for the different regional markets to improve their purchasing skills,” says Mr. Campabadal.
To watch a video about this course, please click here.
 

Feed manufacturing and grain quality management curriculum coordinator Carlos Campabadal explains to participants how the combine works to harvest soybeans.
Participants visited O’Trimble farms and were able to hear from Kenlon Johannes, Kansas Soybean administrator and CEO, who spoke about the soybean growth and how local weather has affected the plants.