Although the 2018 U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange is behind us, USSEC staff still hears great feedback while meeting with overseas buyers. A series of events recently carried out in Europe included Polish and Northeast European customers, who spoke about the GTE.
All Polish participants wanted to come a couple of days prior to the GTE in order to attend the Field Day.
The Ewert family, growing soybeans and corn in Liberty, Missouri, were great hosts for the European customers. They explained their planting, growing, harvesting and marketing procedures as well as discussing the benefits of having modern biotechnology in their toolbox. In return, the hosts wanted to hear why European consumers have problems with the acceptance of GM crops and foods when the U.S. already has 22 years experience in both cultivation and consumption of these crops around the world.
A visit to the local grain elevator of MFA Orrick provided the European guests with a better understanding of how the U.S. Soy and grain marketing system work and offer such a reliable supply and services to overseas buyers like them.
The tour of Federal Grain Inspection Laboratory (FGIS) in Kansas City was a rare chance for the Polish visitors, who were all importers and distributors, to learn about the numerous analyses products go through before they hit the local or overseas markets.
After a long field day, it was good to spend a couple of days in the conference hall among the 700 attendees like them and listen to presentations about the markets, prices, processing industries and/or transportation. The Poles especially enjoyed the content and explanations of Emily French of ConsiliAgra, USA, who spoke on world soy and grain markets.
The Polish customers attended meetings with U.S. exporters, who came to meet with them in smaller meeting rooms as part of the Trade Team Invitational. They liked the formula for the meetings that comprised a very short presentation of each company’s profile and contact persons as well as the opportunity to ask many questions and even meet one-on-one.
Ms. Kotarska of Glencore-Poland, a soybean crusher and soybean and soymeal trader in the Polish and German markets sent USSEC a letter in which she explained her appreciation for the great gift offered to her by the U.S. Soy farmers and the industry, saying it was a once in a lifetime trip for her.