The Nebraska Corn Board farmers recently hosted a trade team after the U.S. Grains Council’s Global Ethanol Summit ended in Washington, D.C. The conference had a variety of concurrent panel discussions with experts on various topics within the biofuel industry.
After the conclusion of the conference, a trade team from South Korea made their way to Nebraska to tour supply chains, engage with the ethanol industry and meet with farmers. During the visit, the team visited Cooperative Producers, Inc. before they traveled to Henderson and visited Jason Lewis’ farm. At the farm, the delegation discussed and was introduced to American agriculture including irrigated and non-irrigated corn and had the opportunity to ride in the combine with the Lewis family.
“Harvest is the perfect time for trade teams to see first-hand the corn leaving the field that will soon be exported to them or in the products they need,” said Jason Lewis, a farmer from Henderson. “The work we put into the crops each year is able to be seen during harvest, and to have trade teams ride in the combine allows them an experience that may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. I learn about what is important to them and how the crop I grow best fits their needs.”
During the remainder of the group’s visit to Nebraska, they toured Green Plains, an ethanol plant in Wood River, Bosselman’s Fuel in Grand Island, Magellan Fuel Terminal in Doniphan and visited a Pump and Pantry location that offers ethanol blended fuels. The trade mission interacted with the Nebraska Ethanol Board, Renewable Fuels Nebraska, Nebraska Farm Bureau and Nebraska Department of Agriculture during their time.
The GES was an education and trade forum that sought to elevate bioethanol’s international visibility and ongoing successful initiatives as a viable decarbonization solution within the transportation sector. More than 350 ministerial-level officials and industry leaders, bioethanol producers and refiners from more than 40 countries attended this year to learn about the numerous environmental and human health benefits of globally expanding the use of biofuels.
