A team of Ohio grower leaders visited Jakarta on a trade promotion mission on February 4-6, 2015.  Representatives from the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) were Chairman Patrick A. Knoff, Vice-Chairman Terry W. McClure, and Executive Director Kirk B. Merrit.  OSC consultant W. Kirk Miller of WKM Global Consulting (OSC Consultant) also participated in the mission.
The objective of the mission was to assure Indonesian importers and end-users that U.S. Soy remains a reliable supplier of both high quality specialty soybeans for food and bulk commodity soybeans for the livestock feed industry.  The state of Ohio has logistical capabilities to provide just-in-time supplies of the right quantities for importers, and Ohio soybean growers are sensitive to Indonesian food security concerns.  The mission also aimed to learn how to better serve the Indonesian markets and learn about specific products that are in greatest demand.

To welcome the U.S. Soy team, a dinner reception was organized at the residence of Ali Abdi, Agricultural Counselor of the USDA - Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), U.S. Embassy Jakarta, on the first day of the mission.  Various representatives from the soy industry also attended the reception, which provided ample quality time for discussions and networking between the Ohio delegates and U.S. soybean customers in Indonesia.
Meetings were organized on subsequent days with various soybean importers and trading companies, namely:  PT. FKS Multi Agro, the largest soybean importer in Indonesia; PT Jakarta Sereal, a quality specific trader; and PT Jackson Niagatama, soybean and feed ingredients trading company.  The Ohio delegates also visited PT Kalbe Nutritionals, a large nutrition company producing a wide range of nutritional products that utilize soy ingredients.  Meetings with these companies provided many opportunities and potential for future business partnerships for U.S. Soy.
The U.S. delegates also visited several tempe (a traditional Indonesian fermented soyfood product) and tofu production centers in South Jakarta, where they were able to observe and learn about U.S. soybean utilization for both of these popular Indonesian soyfoods.  During the visit, delegates met with the chairman of the local tempe and tofu cooperative, learning more about current conditions and potential opportunities in these sectors.
Leading and organizing the meetings for the trade mission were USSEC country representative for Indonesia, Ali Basry; technical director for human nutrition in Southeast Asia, Yeong Boon Yee; technical manager for animal nutrition in Indonesia, Mr. Handiman; and technical manager for human nutrition in Indonesia, Dady Maskar.  USSEC believes that the profitable meetings and discussions, as well as rigorous follow-ups by the USSEC team, will translate to long-term growth opportunities for U.S. Soy from Southeast Asia’s largest country and buyer of soybeans, Indonesia.