Kingery: Brazil, Mexico, India Trade Trips Create Opportunities to Sell More Indiana Corn, Soybeans

Making Indiana’s corn and soybeans more valuable for producers is the reason why an Indiana ag leader has traveled throughout three different continents in just the past two weeks!

“The world needs Indiana agriculture. Indiana has a role to play in feeding and fueling the world,” says Courtney Kingery, CEO of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Corn Growers Association, and Indiana Soybean Alliance.

She not only joined Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on his economic development trip to Brazil and Mexico two weeks ago, but she was also part of the USDA trade mission last week to India. She says the overall goal is to continue to “move the pile” for Indiana corn and soybean producers.

“They need Indiana corn and soybeans. They need our pork and poultry products. They need our ethanol and our biofuels—and I heard that loud and clear meeting with government officials in Brazil and meeting with customers and the fuel and ethanol industry and poultry producers in India,” says Kingery. “They need our fuel, our soybean meal, our turkey, and our duck.”

Kingery says that India is targeting to make E20 fuel their standard over the next two years. She believes their goal opens a huge new market for Indiana ethanol and corn producers.

“Forty-five percent of the corn in Indiana goes into ethanol,” according to Kingery. “There’s a tremendous opportunity for Indiana ethanol to meet the needs of the Indian market and to be a part of the solution to hit those E20 targets. While the farmers in Indiana are planting the corn to become next year’s ethanol, Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance—the checkoff organizations—are out promoting their product into those emerging markets on their behalf.

Kingery was one of many Hoosier ag leaders who have traveled overseas during the past two weeks promoting Indiana ag products. Joining Gov. Holcomb and Kingery in Brazil and Mexico were Don Lamb, Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA); and Mitch Frazier, President and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana.

Hoosier ag leaders who also joined Kingery as part of the recent USDA trade mission to India were Becky Joniskan, President of the Indiana State Poultry Association; Katie Nelson, ISDA Deputy Director; Drew Sherman, ISDA International Trade Director; and Sean Smith, General Manager of Culver Duck.

Click below to hear C.J. Miller’s full conversation with Courtney Kingery, CEO of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Corn Growers Association, and Indiana Soybean Alliance.