The Council used the Market Access Program (MAP) funds to promote U.S. barley to the Korean food industry through a series of educational programs to overcome the lack of appreciation for the quality of U.S. barley, a major obstacle to expanding exports of U.S. barley to Korea. As a result, the Council was able to achieve a significant increase in exports of U.S. barley in the past two years.
The Council sponsored the Northern Crop Institute (NCI)’s Food Barley Course (Healthy Solutions for Food Barley Uses) in 2021 and 2023, with 45 buyers and R&D personnel from 14 companies in the food, confectionery and rice substitute industries. The educational programs provided the Korean barley importing industry with a better understanding of the nutritional benefits and health claims of U.S. food barley and contract farming for superior quality and stable supply.
The Council invested $61,379 of MAP funds between 2021 and 2023 to host the NCI’s U.S. Barley Education Program, contributing to an average annual export volume increase of 3,540 tons and an export value increase of $844,000 in the past two years. This represents an export value increase of $1,688,000 in the last two years compared to MY 2021/22, resulting in a ROI of $27 for every $1 of MAP funds invested.