In April the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) held trade policy academies in Ames, Iowa, and Birmingham, Mich., for producers to learn about the latest developments affecting global markets for their goods.

“International trade is vital to the health of the U.S. agricultural industry, and by offering these trade policy academies free of charge to USGC and NCGA members, we hope to help producers better understand how global market dynamics affect grain prices domestically,” said Ellen S. Zimmerman, USGC director of industry relations.

In Ames, Zimmerman was accompanied by USGC Director of Trade Policy Andrew Brandt, USGC Manager of Global Programs Shuda Jarboe and NCGA Director of Trade, Transportation and Animal Agriculture Michael Granché.

Brandt and Granché covered the history of international trade policy and how it has affected U.S. grain trade and current perspectives on market development during the morning session and attendees toured Iowa State University’s Kent Feed Mill Center during lunch.

In the afternoon, Zimmerman and Granché discussed how the Council and NCGA work with international partners to advance U.S. agricultural exports. Zimmerman also moderated a panel discussion on how trade affects farmers that featured USGC At-Large Director Curt Mether, USGC Trade Policy Advisory Team (A-Team) Member Mark Mueller and Iowa Corn Vice President of Market Development and USGC Ethanol A-Team Member Ryan Sauer.

USGC Manager of Industry Relations Rebecca Starrett joined Zimmerman, Brandt and Granché in Birmingham, where the academy kicked off with a tour of Detroit Port for participants to see how their products are handled through the export process.

In addition to the educational presentations offered in Ames, the Birmingham crowd also received an update from Michigan Corn Growers Association Communications Director Angel Jenio on how state agricultural organizations interact with overseas buyers and end-users to grow demand for U.S. products.

The Council is committed to constant and consistent engagement with its members as part of its mission to develop markets, enable trade and improve lives. If you are interested in attending a future trade policy academy, make sure to follow the Council’s social media pages for announcements on upcoming events.