FORT WORTH, TEXAS, US — Bringing together international buyers of coarse grains and co-products from more than 50 countries with US suppliers and agricultural representatives, Export Exchange 2024 welcomed nearly 500 people Oct. 7-9 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Export Exchange is a biennial event sponsored by the US Grains Council (USGC), Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) with a goal of showcasing US suppliers of corn, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), sorghum, barley and other commodities to a global audience. The event featured a variety of presentations and speakers, along with 28 industry exhibitors.

“We are incredibly excited to see the impact that this week will have in the coming year as international stakeholders continue to generate new business within the US value chain,” said Ryan LeGrand, president and chief executive officer of the USGC. “Export Exchange has proven to be a crucial part in strengthening US relationships with international industry professionals and therefore, strengthening the US agriculture industry for years to come.”

Jason Hafemeister, the USDA acting deputy undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, presented USDA’s goals for exports during the second day of the event and emphasized the importance of trade for US agriculture success.

“(Exports) help keep rural American economies strong and vibrant, so we are all in on promoting trade,” he said. “It is also an important part in our relationships with the rest of the world. The United States is a reliable supplier of agricultural products. We want to develop strong relationships with our trading partners, and we think that the flow of agriculture commodities is critical to do so.”

Other speakers highlighted commodity outlooks and examined the continuous evolution of agriculture industry with “Sorghum, The Smart Choice,” presented by Norma Ritz Johnson from the United Sorghum Checkoff Program; “Co-Products in Petfood,” by Kent Cooper with Evolve Consulting Group; a discussion of new opportunities with “Seafood Protein Demand Outlook,” presented by Gary Morrison from Expana; and “Value-Baded Procurement of US Co-Products,” led by Guy Allen with the International Grains Program.

Information about global feed demand by Ankush Bhandari with Verition Fund Management; “Requirements of the Agriculture Supply Chain and Transportation Amidst Global Upheaval,” presented by Ken Eriksen of Polaris Analytics and Consulting; and “Understanding Today’s Contracts,” by Alejandra Castillo and Thomas Erickson from the North American Export Grain Association.

Speakers during the final day detailed how the scalable and transparent US export system provides direct access to commodities that satisfy grain needs globally, with a focus on new products, sustainability and the value of US corn.

Topics during the day’s general sessions included “New Co-Products in the Market,” by Joe Ward, the executive director of the Distillers Grains Technology Council; “Sustainable Corn and Co-Products Exports,” presented by Carlos Suarez, director of global sustainability at the USGC; and a panel, “Value of US Corn,” featuring Dr. Vijay Singh from the University of Illinois, Kurt Shultz, senior director of global strategies at USGC, and Doug Kitch, technical sales manager at CPM Industrial Solutions.

At the conclusion of Export Exchange, 13 trade teams were headed to corn-growing states to see advanced farming operations, explore DDGS production at ethanol plants and view port facilities among other activities to build their networks with US suppliers.