Earlier this month, U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) Regional Trade Manager Caleb Floss escorted a team of New Zealand & Thailand pork industry stakeholders to attend World Pork Expo in Iowa and visit other key corn and corn co-product producers along the value chain.
“The pork sector in New Zealand is adapting to new regulatory and operational pressures, and this delegation was interested in gaining direct exposure to U.S. pork production systems, technologies and management practices that may help inform their adaptations,” Floss said. “Thailand has a mature swine industry, yet novel co-products have opportunities for inclusion in feed rations.”
The group’s first stop was a POET ethanol facility in Jewell. POET is a USGBC member and the world’s largest producer of ethanol, giving attendees a firsthand look at the large-scale production capacity of U.S. corn co-products like distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS).
Afterward, the team traveled to Iowa State University for a short course focused on feed grains’ impact on meat quality and the economic impact of incorporating DDGS into swine diets.
The next day, the delegation toured a farm and swine operation to observe its production practices and feeding strategies and visited a pork processing facility for attendees to complete their understanding of the U.S. pork production process from feed grains to end product.
The final two days of the program were spent at World Pork Expo 2026, where the group met with fellow industry leaders, including Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, to foster trade ties with U.S. suppliers and growers.
“The positive experiences had by attendees here creates opportunities to further deepen engagement with decision makers in New Zealand pork’s industry and reinforces the Council’s commitment to supporting technical capacity and develops understanding of and loyalty to U.S. corn and its co-products,” Floss said.
Learn more about the Council’s work in Southeast Asia & Oceania on the organization’s website.