Chinese soy buyers visit Winamac farm

Chinese Visit: A delegation of Chinese soy buyers visited three Indiana farms Saturday, including the Scott Fritz farm in Winamac. The Chinese visitors are touring several locations in the U.S. to learn more about soybean production and marketing. Their Indiana visit was organized by the Indiana Soybean Alliance, in cooperation with the U.S. Soybean Export Council. See story below.

The group included Indiana in their tour Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 22-23). They visited the farms of Indiana Soybean Alliance directors Scott Fritz in Winamac, Kevin Wilson in Galveston and Gary Lamie in Westpoint, southwest of Lafayette. The group also toured Kokomo Grain. Their visit will continue this week with stops in Illinois and Minnesota.

Last week they attended the seventh annual Soy & Grain Trade Summit in New Orleans, which brought together hundreds of international agricultural commodity buyers and sellers in a single venue for on-the-spot trading, an annual event that attracts the largest range of global leaders in oilseed and grain production as well as processing and trade.

At the Fritz farm, the Chinese visitors asked many questions about this summer's drought. "They were concerned about quantity and quality of this year's soybean crop," Fritz said. "They are here to plan their purchasing strategy"

China's soybean buyers have a world-wide reputation of being market-savvy and making astute purchases. But in recent months fears of dwindling U.S. soy supplies have forced some Chinese soybean processors to swallow high prices and book expensive U.S. cargoes.

Joining the Chinese visitors on their Winamac stop were Cathy Arthur, program manager for the Indiana Soybean Alliance, and Darrell McGriff, another ISA director. Agronomists Austin Mattern and Ryan Edwards, who are also managers at North Central Co-op's Star City plant, were present, along with local and agriculture media representatives.

Claudia Chong of the American Soybean Association's (ASA) IM (International Marketing) office served as an interpreter, although several of the Chinese buyers spoke and/or understood English.

On their three Indiana farm visits, the buyers were also interested in learning how soybeans are grown and stored for marketing, and they enjoyed inspecting the crops in the fields.

The Indiana Soybean Alliance hosted the group in partnership with the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC).

The Fritz farm hosted a similar tour for Chinese soy buyers six years ago, and a couple of the same buyers were present this year. Fritz is a former chairman and board member of USSEC, and completes his tenure this year as an ASA director.