I-CAL - Day 6 - Taiwan

By Tim Martini – Colorado State University
and Amy Petersen – Utah State University

The program has come to a close, after all the memories made, experiences shared and laughs to remember we just wrapped up our last day in Taiwan. We started off with a tour of the wet market; this market was very different from the wet market in Malaysia. For instance, this market was indoors, vendors used ice to keep meat products cold, and there were less people and gross smells in the air. Although, somehow people still managed to drive their scooters in the building.

From the market, our group traveled to Wei Mon Industries, a company specializing in bioplastics. This was an informative visit. We learned that bio-plastics are made from plant materials, not oils, so they are biodegradable, sustainable and environmentally friendly. Products made from bio-plastics include: cups, plates, eating utensils, cake and fruit trays, “to go” containers, among others. At 60 degrees Celsius, it would take 67 days for a cup to fully decompose, if left outside at a normal temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, decomposition would take approximately 1-2 years. We also learned that the plastics are made from any high starch material. Wei Mon uses a lot of U.S. corn! About ten kernels of corn will yield one kernel of bio-plastic. This company is taking huge steps in helping to "green up" our planet, they are progressive agriculturalists looking at the potential of plants and helping to bring that potential to life.

From Wei Mon, our travels brought us to Taipei 101, the second largest building in the world. We stepped on the world’s fastest elevator that brought us up to the 82nd floor in less than 30 seconds. Let’s just say we were flat bookin’ it. Due to some rain today, our view of Taipei wasn’t that great but with the help of a hand guided tour headset we were able to get the general idea of what we were looking at.

Once back at the hotel we took advantage of some time to repack all of our stuff and try to stuff as much as we could into our bags. Some of us (mainly the girls) may have some issues when it comes to checking our bags tomorrow due to weight limits. One thing is for certain, this trip has been a great experience. We all know that agriculture is a global industry and being able to spend time here in Asia has opened our eyes to different agricultural practices, and industries in Ag. We can’t thank the U.S. Grains Council and The Grains Foundation enough for sponsoring this program. A special thanks to Clover Chang, the director of the U.S. Grains Council here in Taipei and Adel Yusupov the Southeast Asia Regional Director for taking time to travel with us, answer our questions and show us an unforgettable time. Thanks for all you do!

I-CAL - Day 5 - Taiwan

By Dan Halvig – University of Minnesota
and Ashley Gatling – University of Arkansas

As our time winds down here in Taiwan, we made sure that our day was jam packed with new experiences, new friends, and new opportunities. First, we visited one of the 150universities here in Taiwan. The National Taiwan University was originally founded as a Japanese Imperial school in 1928, and is said to be the best university in the country. Dr. Bao-Ji Chen, the dean of the college, told us about the university's 11 colleges, 54 departments, two professional schools (one of which is Veterinary Medicine), and 33,393 students. We felt at home as he introduced some of his top professors and named their alma maters as Iowa State, Cornell, and other U.S. institutions. Former U.S. Grains Council Director, Dr. C.M. Lynn, helped us to better understand the industry and provided us with some comic relief. It was tough to leave the beautiful campus, but we made sure to grab a picture before heading off to the next destination.

At our next stop we were greeted by a familiar face, Herbert Wong, leader and member of the Taiwan Feed Industry Association (TFIA), had joined us for dinner the night before. TFIA represents 59 feed mills, making up about 60 percent of the overall Taiwan feed volume. It provides support, advocacy and training to its 53 members. TFIA was a key stop because Taiwan imports 99 percent of its feed grains, and U.S. corn accounts for 81 percent of the corn imported. Mr. Wong joined us for lunch at a Chinese restaurant, and answered any of the questions we had. It was easy to see that Mr. Wong is a huge promoter of U.S. grains, and a new friend to us all.

After a short break, we were back on the bus and headed to one of Taipei’s many suburbs to the China Grain Products Research and Development Institute. More than 40 years ago, the Taiwanese government turned to the Institute to help solve the rice shortage. Through diversification programs, the Institute promotes the use of wheat and barley as substitutes for rice in the Taiwanese diet. The Institute researches new foods, analyze current cereals, and teach chefs and other students how to cook their favorite breads, cakes, and pastries. Not only was it great to hear about the new developments in the grains institute, we also got to taste some of the students' work.

For dinner, we met a new friend, Ruby, who studied at Illinois State University last month, and had previously joined us for dinner with her father, a deputy director of the Council of Agriculture. She took us to the night market where we could buy grilled pork, fresh fruit, and purses all in one place. The streets were packed as we walked around, but it wasn’t until we smelled a distinct aroma that we knew we were in for a new experience. The culprit: Stinky Tofu. It may not sound, smell, or look appetizing, but given another chance, I’d order two!

New opportunities, new experiences, and new friends made this day one of our favorites, but tomorrow, we look forward to another wet market, a bio-plastics plant, and Taipei 101.

I-CAL - Day 4 - Taiwan

By Ryan Hrubes – Iowa State University
and Wil Baxley – North Carolina State University

We enjoyed a nice Japanese and Western style breakfast in our hotel before our first meeting of the day at 8:30 am. We started our first full day in Taipei, Taiwan with a meeting with Clover Chang, director of the U.S. Grains Council in Taiwan. We also listened to presentations from Mark Dries, chief of the Agricultural Affairs Section of the American Institute in Taiwan, the equivalent of the U.S. embassy, and Keith Schneller, director of the Agricultural Trade Office of the Foreign Agricultural Service.
We then left for a 10:30 am meeting with the Council of Agriculture, which is similar to the United States Department of Agriculture. There we watched a video highlighting Taiwan agriculture and the programs they promote for farmers. We enjoyed some fresh fruit produced in Taiwan while we discussed the country’s agricultural sector with Dr. Kuei-son Sheu, "Jack," director of the Department of Animal Industry for the Council, along with several of his staff. We were also surprised with a visit from the Deputy Minister of Agriculture for the Council. After spending a great deal of time discussing the many aspects of the industry, we headed off to lunch. We stopped along the way for a brief 10 minute visit at a large square and courtyard honoring one of the country’s greatest presidents. For lunch, we enjoyed fried pork – Japanese style!! This was also our first opportunity to use chopsticks in Taiwan.
During the afternoon, we visited the National Palace Museum, a world renowned museum of Chinese art and history of the past 5,000 years! Then we met back at the hotel for a brief break before walking a few blocks in downtown Taipei for supper at a local mall. To much of our surprise, there was a Coldstone Creamery, where many of us enjoyed a little ice cream, a small piece of home. Then we walked around a bit downtown before heading back to the hotel, for some much needed rest and our nightly debriefing meeting. Stay tuned for more tomorrow as we tour Taichung Port and Charoen Pokphand Enterprise Co., a feed mill in Taiwan.

I-CAL - Day 3 - Malaysia

By Grant Christensen, Iowa State University
and Adam Miller, Ridgewater College

Sunday May 23, 2010

The I-CAL team started off by going to the PETRONAS Twin Towers today, the fourth tallest building in the world. These towers are regarded as a symbol of Malaysia and its growing infrastructure. Many people may recognize these towers from the Sean Connery film “Entrapment.” We had the opportunity to go up to the 41st floor and tour the sky bridge that connects the two towers. PETRONAS is the largest petroleum company in Malaysia with business interests in over 35 countries.
We thanked our great U.S. Grains Council representative, Adel, for all the time he spent with us and making our time in Malaysia truly unforgettable. We also expressed our appreciation to our exquisite tour guide Joseph, whose local knowledge of Malaysia added to our cultural experiences.
After goodbyes we departed for Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Five hours later and some turbulence we arrived in Taipei to 71 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius) with a gentle rain. Our 45 minute bus ride brought us to the Howard Plaza Hotel, where we will be staying for the remainder of the trip. Tomorrow we are looking forward to learning about the U.S. Grains Council’s efforts in Taiwan and meeting with the Council of Agriculture.

I-CAL - Day 2 - Malaysia

By Caitlin Kasper - University of Minnesota
and Devin Burton - University of Wyoming

Our second day in Malaysia and first full day of touring was packed full of learning opportunities. We started by visiting the U.S. Grains Council Office and meeting with David Cottrell and Raymond Hoh of the Foreign Agriculture Service and Adel Yusupov with the U.S. Grains Council. They briefed us on the agriculture industry in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. We learned that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has a wide variety of agriculture trade opportunities throughout the world. Malaysia is prominent in the production of palm oil, rubber, rice, and cocoa, while ASEAN’s future opportunities include population and economic growth, GDP and consumption growth, the demand for more meat products and the desire to be self-sufficient in animal agriculture. Demand for meat products in the region will increase as a result of growing population and urbanization as nearly 75% of the population in Malaysia is projected to be urban by the year 2050. Demand for healthy and lowfat products in Malaysia is also increasing. Our group also discussed DDGS and its use within Southeast Asia.
After learning about the broad agriculture industry in Malaysia we visited the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Palm oil is the largest agriculture industry in Malaysia accounting for 60% of the total agriculture production. Twenty three percent of world fat and oil supply comes from palm oil, and Malaysia exports 90% of their production. From research, 12 new varieties of palm oil trees have been introduced and selected for different purposes. We had the opportunity to view and experience palm oil production from start to finish and the diverse number of products and by-products it produces. We learned about the life cycle of the trees and the production statistics of the palm oil trees.
Next we toured a swine farm in Tanjung Sepat. The farm maintains about 700 sows and about 10,000 market hogs. Our group discussed the similarities and differences between a typical American swine farm and this Malaysian farm. This swine farm markets their hogs at 100 kilos, mixed their own feed and completely uses artificial insemination. Ten employees work on the farm to care for the hogs, and due to the hot weather in Malaysia the hogs are always bathed at least once a day. An interesting fact we found out is that the stomach is the most expensive part of the hog.
We finished the day with a little recreation. We had a wonderful seafood dinner on the banks of a river and concluded with a firefly night cruise. These unique fireflies were no bigger than fruit flies and appeared to pulse like Christmas lights on one variety of tree that grew next to the river. Our group is looking forward to more learning opportunities and cultural experiences tomorrow.

I-CAL - Day 1 - Malaysia

By: Ryan Hrubes – Iowa State University
Wil Baxley – North Carolina State University

Training and Our First Day in Malaysia
Once we all arrived into Los Angeles throughout the weekend, we began a short orientation to get the (International Collegiate Ag Leadership) I-CAL team ready for the 2 week program to Asia. All members were in charge of giving a brief background of specific industries in Malaysia and Taiwan. Following this meeting we headed out for dinner and then to LAX Airport for a 1:15am flight on Monday. We arrived in Taipei, Taiwan 6:00 am on Tuesday morning, due to our crossing of the international date line. We arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 12:45pm with the humidity and heat waiting.

Joseph, our tour guide, picked us up from the airport, and accompanied us on the hour long bus ride to the center of Kuala Lumpur. Along the way we talked about the Malaysia culture, agriculture, political system, and demographics. We arrived at our hotel with some time to spare before our first cultural experience for the program. Some decided to lounge by the pool, and others decided to relax in their air conditioned rooms. For dinner, we walked across the street to Saloma restaurant, where we indulged in various styles of Malaysian cuisine. We were joined by Adel Yusupov, the Southeast Asia Regional Director from the U.S. Grains Council. Once we were done with dinner, the restaurant also presented several cultural dances. Some members of the team had the opportunity to show off their ability to “get jiggy with it” Malaysian style. Even after a long day of traveling, we had a great cultural experience and are ready to learn more about Malaysian agriculture; that is after a good night’s rest.

Tomorrow, we are looking forward to talking more with Adel about the U.S. Grains Council and their work in Malaysia, visiting with the Foreign Agriculture Service, and getting to visit some various farms/plantations in the area.

U.S. Grains Council to Hold Teleconference Today - US Corn Purchases in China

Please join U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Thomas C. Dorr and Mike Callahan, USGC senior director of international operations, today as they host a teleconference regarding China’s recent purchase of U.S. corn and what it means for China’s commitment to food security.

When: 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. US EST
Wednesday, May 12, 2010

What: Teleconference
1-800-377-8846 (if overseas dial 302-709-8424)
Pass code: 51918540#

Please contact Marri Carrow, USGC manager of communications, at 202-789-0789 for more information.

BP Oil Spill Brings Concern to the Ports of New Orleans and South Louisiana

A BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico spewing 210,000 gallons a day brings with it a myriad of concerns ranging from environmental hazards to transportation disruption and financial loss. It also increases worries about the disaster’s affect on exports traveling down the Mississippi river to the ports of New Orleans and South Louisiana which serve as gateways to the United States’ export markets.

As of the writing of this post, there have been no updates suggesting the oil slick will interrupt traffic along the Mississippi, according to the latest news released by the Port of New Orleans on April 30. However, other sources state that should the spill drift west, the potential for complications at the port increases. The agricultural export industry is keeping a close eye on the Port of South Louisiana in particular which handles 224 million tons of cargo per year consisting of mostly grain and other agricultural commodities. [The Associated Press via Telegraph Herald]

Even if the slick doesn’t directly hit either port, the potential for problems still exists. The Wall Street Journal reports that closed water lanes or shipment delays due to affected ships needing to be cleaned off at sea prior to docking would raise the cost of transporting whatever goods are on board the affected vessels.

Needless to say, the incident has people in several states and industries worried. A quick and effective solution to this disaster, as well as a little help from Mother Nature, is desperately needed.

Iowa Corn Leaders Recognize Farmers' Daily Dedication to Earth

By Iowa Corn Growers Association President, Iowa Corn Promotion Board Chairman

Dear U.S. Farmer,

Since Earth Day began 40 years ago, we’ve seen a tremendous shift in the preservation of our natural resources. However, little reflection has been given to the first environmentalist, the farmer.

While farmers were busy implementing solutions for feeding and fueling the world, non-ag experts have portrayed modern agriculture as an engine of ecological disaster. Those who favor science over conjecture know this accusation to be unfair and untrue. However, these absurd arguments have now moved into the political arena and are endangering a sector of our economy that employs one out of six Americans.

We will need to feed 2.5 billion more people by 2050. The United States has the largest supply of arable land, greatest access to technology and most to gain from growing markets. Corn farmers play a significant role in modern, sustainable agriculture. This versatile crop is in the food we eat, cars we drive, packages we open, fabrics we wear and medicines we consume. The truth is farmers grow five times as much corn as they did in the 1930s on 20 percent less land and produce 70 percent more corn per pound of fertilizer than they did 35 years ago.

Farmers have a great and enviable connection with the earth. Their livelihood depends on it. Farmers, the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board ask you to celebrate this Earth Day by letting others know how your work protects the environment and maintains our standard of living. Engage in conversations with non-ag neighbors, utilize social media to establish a presence in popular culture and make sure your elected officials know your point of view.

Sincerely,

Tim Burrack, Iowa Corn Promotion Board Chairman
Don Elsbernd, Iowa Corn Growers Association President

From DC to Florida, Grains Still Daily Part of Life

By Jodi Kiely, USGC Contributing Writer

Its been more than a year since I moved from Washington, D.C., to Orlando, Fla., leaving behind my job, colleagues and friends at the U.S. Grains Council, but as evidenced by this blog post, I never truly left. As I continue to transition into my new life here in the southeastern part of the United States, I have learned that while citrus and strawberries may make the news more often than corn, barley or sorghum do here in Florida, grains continue to play a quiet, but vital role in peoples lives.

This realization has come to me in the most unusual of ways. As a relative newcomer to Florida, the first thing people ask me upon learning that I moved here from the District is, "What were you doing there?" When I tell them I worked for a non-profit organization dedicated to the export markets of U.S. corn, barley and sorghum, I am usually met with a look of confusion. Obviously agriculture is not what people envision when they think of Washington, D.C., but once I tell them about many things I learned while working for the U.S. Grains Council and the interesting places I've been to, a sense of awe overcomes my new Florida friends.

One woman, after hearing about the Council's work overseas, said to me, "I never knew grains could be so interesting. It's like a whole different world. I know I have grains in my daily life, but I have never stopped to think about where they come from. I just know that I have them when I need them. I had no idea the kind of work that is being done beyond that."

I may no longer work full-time at the Council's Washington, D.C., office, but if I can at least help others gain a new sense of appreciation for all our farmers do to produce food, feed and fuel for the rest of the world, I feel I've done my job well, even if it is from here in Central Florida.

USGC, Iowa Corn Delegation Arrive in Japan, Celebrate Trade Relationship

By Marri Carrow, USGC Manager of Communications

Representatives from the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau and the U.S. Grains Council gathered in Japan this week for a series of site visits, business meetings and to participate in the Partners-in-Agriculture events. For more than 50 years, the United States and Japan have enjoyed a partnership that has yielded more than $280 billion in sales of U.S. food and agricultural products to Japan, creating a relationship that has helped cater to the needs of Japanese consumers while fueling the U.S. economy.

To celebrate the success of this relationship, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service arranged a series of events to commemorate the success of the cooperator program, the special agricultural relationship between the United States and Japan, the famous “hog lift,” the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Grains Council, and the 50th anniversary of the Iowa-Yamanashi sister-state relationship.

The Council is pleased to be a small part of the Partners-in-Agriculture events as it will sponsor the Global Food Security Symposium, April 7. The symposium will bring together some of the world’s finest minds to what we believe will be a thoughtful and revealing discussion on the 50 years of dialog between the United States and Japan.

Speakers at the symposium will include:
• U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack;
• Japans Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries the Honorable Hirotaka Akamatsu;
• State Secretary of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs the Honorable Koichi Takemasa;
• U.S. Ambassador to Japan John V. Roos; and
• Dr. Kenneth Quinn of the World Food Prize Foundation.

Iowa, USGC Representatives include:
• Charlie Norris, District 2 Director of the Iowa Farm Bureau Board of Directors
• Tim Burrack, Chairman, Iowa Corn Promotion Board
• Don Elsbernd, President, Iowa Corn Growers Association
• Craig Floss, CEO, Iowa Corn Growers Associations
• Thomas C. Dorr, President and CEO, U.S. Grains Council
• Rick Fruth, Chairman, U.S. Grains Council;
• Owen Newlin, Former Chairman, U.S. Grains Council;
• Mike Callahan, Senior Director of International Operations for Asia, U.S. Grains Council;
• Tommy Hamamoto, Director in Japan, U.S. Grains Council;
• Kimberly Karst, Manager of International Operations for Asia, U.S. Grains Council; and
• Marri Carrow, Manager of Communications, U.S. Grains Council.

Stay tuned for more events to follow.