The U.S. is the number one producer of corn in the world. Across the globe, the Philippines has a growing population, and needs to keep pace with demand for the grain.
That's why a trade team from the Philippines came to rural Montgomery County last week.
They visited the Leis family farm to learn about sustainability, marketing and harvest.
The visit was held with Ohio Corn and Wheat, which is a statewide alliance representing the state's corn and small grain farmers.
Ohio Corn and Wheat typically hosts trade teams across the state and the nation as a whole, said Wendy Osborn, director of market development.
"This year we worked collaboratively with the U.S. Grains Council. They had trade teams coming into Ohio, but they also had trade teams coming out throughout the country," she said. "All of them then merged at a conference in Texas. But for Ohio specifically, we hosted a trade team from the Philippines. So we had buyers who focus on buying corn and dried distillers grains, which is a co-product of corn."
This visit was part of the Philippines Delegation Export Exchange.
"The Philippines is the 13th largest population. If you think of their land mass, it's about the size of Arizona. So while they do produce corn, they don't produce enough corn to meet their demands for their population. And so it is also critical that we also supply them with good, quality product."
Top-level decision makers involved in the import and export industry visited to learn more about the U.S. Grain Marketing system.
"They were in to look at our corn crop and to see the quality of our corn crop, meet with farmers and then also see our supply chain here in Ohio," said Osborn. "And so those buyers primarily focus on animal feed for their poultry and pork industries back in the Philippines."
Visitors got to see the export process first-hand and learn about the nation’s coastal ports. Ohio’s river system is also a major export opportunity.
According to Osborn, the visiting trade team was able to watch as grain and corn were loaded into containers for export.
"We were also able to see the rail system, to see where corn was put on railcars, and then also they were able to visit the Ohio River and see where barges were being loaded,” she said.
The U.S. is the number one producer of corn in the world, Osborn said.
“We produce more corn here in the United States than we can consume and so it's really critical that we focus on trade and Ohio is also typically the top ten [of] corn producing states,” she said.
The Philippines has more than doubled its population over the past 40 years, growing from about 53 million to an estimated 119 million people, Osborn said.
With less space to grow corn and other products, she says they rely on exports from other countries like the U.S. to meet the demands of their growing population.
"The Philippines is the 13th largest population," Osborn said. "If you think of their land mass, it's about the size of Arizona. So while they do produce corn, they don't produce enough corn to meet their demands for their population. And so it is also critical that we also supply them with good, quality product."
