Grain Sales Top $400 Million at Export Exchange

The National Export Exchange conference in Minneapolis was profitable for the nation’s grain farmers. Grain buyers from 35 countries attended the conference. Those buyers report purchasing roughly $403 million worth of coarse grains and co-products, including dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS), as well as feed grains. The biennial event was held in October. Buyers and end-users were polled while they were at the conference, as well as immediately after the conference, on their purchases. In total, conference attendees sold about 2.1 million metric tons of grains and co-products. The sales either took place at the conference or immediately prior to or after. “Bringing buyers and sellers together in this way is crucial to U.S. farmers right now,” says Tom Sleight, president and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council. “These sales show that buyers at Export Exchange 2018 were serious about making deals. Considering the international trade climate, we are pleased to see these numbers are holding steady.” Many buyers did admit that their purchasing strategies were more short-term than unusual, due in part to an uncertain relationship between the U.S. and China. However, the buyers also said they valued their long-term partnerships with U.S. suppliers. Those same buyers also report that they are still considering future purchases.