By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — On Friday, Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman met with Taiwanese agricultural officials to sign a letter of intent to purchase more than 300 million bushels of corn and 110 million bushels of soybeans from Midwest grain producers.

“You know some of the best opportunities exist outside our borders, so we see tremendous potential for mutual growth with Taiwan,” said Skillman. “We’re honored by your confidence in our agricultural industry by signing this letter of intent today, and we look forward to many years of working together to come.”

Led by Dr. Paul M. H. Sun, delegates included representatives from the Taiwan Vegetable Oil Manufacturers Assoc., the Taiwan Feed Industry Assoc. and the Taiwan Flour Mills Assoc., as well as personnel from the Taiwan offices of the U.S. Grains Council, the U.S. Soybean Export Council and the U.S. Wheat Associates.
During a brief ceremony at the Statehouse, representatives from the Taiwan Vegetable Oil Manufacturers’ Assoc. expressed intent to purchase between 110 million and 118 million bushels of U.S. soybeans in 2010 and 2011, valued at an estimated worth between $1.35 billion and $1.44 billion.

Also, the Taiwan Feed Industry Assoc. made an agreement to purchase between 303 million to 413 million bushels of U.S. corn. The value of these purchases has been estimated to be worth between $1.69 billion and $2.37 billion.

“This is a most exciting time as we prepare for the 2009 harvest and have the opportunity to sign a new trade agreement today,” said Anne Hazlett, director of the Indiana Department of Agriculture. “We know that the United States is the largest source of agricultural products for Taiwan, and we’re so glad that Indiana can be a partner in that.”

Susan Brouillette also made an appearance at the ceremony to read a letter written by U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.).

“As an Indiana farmer and a U.S. senator, I strongly support the role to expand global markets for corn and soybeans and the agreement made today between Indiana and Taiwan,” wrote Lugar.
During their two-day visit to Indiana, the 13-member delegation also visited Lamb Farms, a corn and soybean operation in Boone County and the Throckmorton Purdue University Agricultural Center in Tippecanoe County. Other visits included a meeting with officials from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

According to Sun, also a board chair for the AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center, Taiwan is the seventh-largest export market for U.S. agricultural products. Last year alone, Taiwan purchased a total of $3.5 billion worth of agricultural products.

Since 1998, a Taiwanese agricultural delegation has traveled to the United States nearly every two years to meet with agricultural and trade policy makers in the federal government, state officials and U.S. trade associations and bulk commodity suppliers to make grain purchase agreements.

“We have so much to share with each other, this is just another chapter in our ever-evolving relationship to expand and improve global markets abroad,” commented Dr. Perry Pei-hwang Shen, Director General, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago.
This is the seventh year Taiwan has sent an agricultural mission to the United States and follows a 2006 trade mission to Taiwan embarked by Skillman and agricultural delegation.

Published on Sept. 30, 2009