Mexican Soybean Buyers Visit North Dakota Farms

The Soybean Council has been hosting groups from several countries over the past few weeks

CASSELTON, N.D. — Mexican soybean buyers visited farms in North Dakota.  The Soybean Council has hosted several groups from different countries over the past few weeks.

“We’re grateful they take the time to leave their companies and families to come over here, and take a firsthand look at our crop, and we’re happy to host them and tell the North Dakota story,” Joe Morken, chairman of the N.D. Soybean Council, said.

Farms in the U.S. are usually bigger than the ones in other countries, and buyers can bring back some tips and tricks.

“In Mexico, we can take this information and things we’re learning here for the customers,” Arturo Garcia, commercial manager for the Gramosa Group, said.

Buyers say they want to see the source of where their crop comes from and farmers say trips like these are a great way to build relationships between the two parties.

“They want to know the farmer side of it and of course they hope to get the most truth out of the farmer side,” Morken said.

He says having a strong a business connection is essential, especially being in the crosshairs of a trade war.

Buyers say they have to import from somewhere because they don’t produce enough in Mexico to keep up with their consumption.

“Ideally it’d be the States as we have been doing in previous years, but I don’t know what will happen,” Garcia said.

“At the end we need good prices to compete with local production,” Jessica Nava, account manager for Gramosa, said.

“It’s been affecting you guys because we are Mexican consumers, we have to look for options as we have done. We’re importing from South America, wheat from Europe, Russia, Ukraine…” Garcia said.

“Even though the administration in DC might say something else, we are a supplier, and we want to be their supplier. We don’t like being number two, we want to be number one,” Morken said.

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton announced Taiwan will buy up to $1.56 billion in soybeans from Minnesota and Iowa farmers.