SSGA addresses buyers in Indonesia

With food availability a concern in Indonesia, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Agriculture Counselor Rey Santella emphasized the need for the United States and Indonesia to keep trade open to help feed each other in his address at the Asia Soy Excellence & Protein Summit.

SSGA had the opportunity to weigh in on that concern during the conference, hosted by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) June 21-22 in Bali. Presenting virtually, SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg and Chair Rob Prather briefed about 150 attendees on current identity preserved (IP) crop production issues, logistics and container shipping during the hybrid event. Steve Peach, a Michigan farmer and member of the Michigan Soybean Committee, and Troy Berndt, a grower relations specialist in Wisconsin, updated attendees on the 2022 growing season in their respective states/regions.

Attendees were interested to learn about container shipping challenges. While most of these challenges likely will continue into the next shipping season, they are expected to progressively improve. Prather encouraged buyers to order from U.S. exporters as soon as possible, not only to help plan logistics but to allow U.S. farmers ample time to grow IP crops with the exact qualities and characteristics requested by the end users. Ordering IP crops in advance also improves efficiencies in production plans for manufacturers focusing on quality.

Wenberg and Prather also emphasized the importance of partnerships between groups like SSGA and USSEC and how buyers should seek out educational materials, such as SSGA University and the U.S. Soy Excellence Center. Wenberg also spoke of SSGA’s international launch of the U.S. Identity Preserved brand mark, which is scheduled to take place in Southeast Asia in November.