U.S. soy is exploring market opportunities in Southeast Europe in an effort to capitalize the growth potential of that region’s poultry and livestock industries.
The Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) recently followed up on a container shipment of U.S. soybeans shipped directly from an Ohio farm to Port Constanta, Romania.  The shipment’s final destination was Suinprod, one of the top largest poultry and swine integrations in the country.
OSA consultant Gunnar Lynum visited Romania in May to focus on the opportunities that the Romanian feed industry offers for U.S. soybean export, establishing contacts with potential customers.  Mr. Lynum met with representatives from soy extrusion plants to promote U.S. beans from this year’s crop.  He said, “Romania offers excellent opportunities for U.S. soy to export soybeans direct from the farm to the port of Constanta.  This is further favored by the open attitudes of the major companies we visited about a month ago.”
Mr. Cristian Betenchi, the director of Elcomex’s newly established feed mill explained, “Over 27 companies have their own soy extrusion plants in Romania and they operate only 3-4 months per year.  There is a dramatic shortage of beans in the country and imports from the U.S. can provide the solution to feed the hunger of the soy extruders waiting for soy to process.  We need high quality beans from the U.S.”
USSEC and the U.S. soy industry continue to follow up with customers and facilitate direct commercial relationships with U.S. soybeans exporters to help solve Romania’s demand for soybeans.  Mr. Lynum has received calls from Romania in the past week asking for price quotations as the 2014 crop becomes available.