The Costa Rican Chamber of Pork Producers (CAPORC) groups, the core of commercial and integrated pork producers in Costa Rica, represents a key group of U.S. Soy customers. USSEC consultant Gerardo Luna conducted a series of online presentations for this organization, including their board of directors, their president, and senior members, on international markets and pricing of grains and oilseed products.
The presentations started with an overview of the organizations within the U.S. Soy Family, and then continued with the checkoff program, other programs and activities, and the U.S. Soy sustainability message and certificates available.
One of the conferences touched on price management; agricultural markets and prices; pricing alternatives; tools and resources; and then covered the basics of basis and hedging with futures. Discussions then turned to purchasing practices, the supply chain, and marketing alternatives.
Another conference focused on ideas and the dos and don’ts of purchasing pools or groups. It covered a range of topics from defining and understanding objectives and needs; reasons for forming a pool; commercial and financial implications; and economies of scale; to rules / regulations / procedures, and purchasing policies involved, leading to decision making. The conference closed with an open discussion on how to take advantage of associations.