Earlier this month, U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) Deputy Regional Director for Latin America (LTA) Alexander Grabois and USGBC LTA Marketing Specialist Angelica Rios traveled to Colombia to meet with a series of feed milling industry stakeholders and share results of the Council’s 2025/2026 Corn Export Cargo Quality Report.
“The Council is seeking to emphasize the importance of U.S. coarse grains’ superior performance to incentivize customers to change misconceptions of the commodities while also understanding how U.S.-origin agricultural goods have competitive advantages that can maximize end-user operations,” Grabois said.
The Council’s roadshow events consist of targeted visits to end users where experts present research, address company and plant-specific operational challenges and provide solutions that help reinforce the value of U.S. coarse grains compared to those of other origins.
In Colombia, Iowa State University Professor Dirk Maier and Iowa State University Research Engineer George Obeng-Akrofi joined Grabois and Rios to share latest best practices in corn storage and use, including effective and non-cost prohibitive solutions for managing broken corn and foreign materials (BCFM).
At each of the roadshow’s six stops in Bogota and Cali, the Council’s team presented the results of recent USGBC studies including its annual corn crop analyses, reviewed optimal strategies for feed production and toured facilities to best advise customers about the benefits U.S. coarse grains can provide.
“By conducting these roadshow events and directly engaging with end-users, the Council gains a better understanding of customer challenges and can answer targeted questions or concerns based on their experience and plant layout,” Grabois said.
“These are all crucial steps to defend U.S. market share by fortifying trust and loyalty to U.S. products to protect against potential price-based challenges from competing origins, maintaining steady demand that U.S. producers can rely on.”
Learn more about the Council’s work in Colombia on the organization’s website.