SHEFFIELD, IOWA, U.S. — Government officials from Binzhou, China, visited Sukup Manufacturing Co. and other locations in Iowa to learn about ethanol production.

Along with Sukup, the group visited Golden Grain Energy in Mason City and a farm near Dougherty. The group also posed for a photo with Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg who were at Sukup Manufacturing on Dec. 13 for a meeting of the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative.

China plans to include 10% ethanol in all fuel sold nationwide by the year 2020.

“We have tremendous resources and knowledge of ethanol production in North Iowa, which the Chinese delegation acknowledges and hopes to gain from,” said Steve Sukup, chief financial officer of Sukup Manufacturing. “China will have a major demand for ethanol in the near future, and we hope their visit was productive and will help them understand how to meet that demand.”

The visit concluded with a formal signing ceremony at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates for a memorandum of understanding, which Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig attended to witness and provide remarks.