The U.S. Grains Council just hosted the Global Ethanol Summit in Washington DC. This summit brought visitors from all around the world to learn more about ethanol, how they could build relationships, and also grow markets. Following the Summit, a group from Thailand and the Philippines came to Wisconsin and toured several ethanol production facilities.
The facilities toured included Hartmann Farms, Didion Ethanol, Virent, as well as a Kwik Trip Blending Facility. These sites offered the group opportunities to see different aspects of ethanol production. The group from Southeast Asia consisted of producers, buyers, academics, and government officials.
One of the foreign buyers on the trip was Bernadette Raymundo. She is the Vice President of Supply for SEAOIL which is a Filipino fuel company. She shared that her company had been offering an ethanol blend since 2005 – a year before the Philippines passed their Biofuel Law. They can only produce 50% of the total Biofuel Law requirement, so the rest must be purchased from foreign producers. The total required to meet the law is 700 million liters.
“We don’t produce out of corn, so we import most of our ethanol from the U.S.,” explains Raymundo. “We import about 350 million for the entire year.” When asked what Americans should know about ethanol in the Philippines, Raymundo says that “there is a big market for ethanol in the Philippines and that we can exchange information and technology.” She goes on to share that they are looking at increasing their blend from 10% to 20%.
It isn’t only the foreign countries that are excited about expanding partnerships. Chris Markey with the U.S. Grains Council is based in Southeast Asia and works with many of the individuals who are on the trip. “Ethanol is a very burgeoning product in Southeast Asia,” Markey said. “Southeast Asia is the economic engine of Asia and, really, of the world.”
Markey says it’s also important to recognize that for our trade to be sustainable, we must support ethanol industries in partner countries grow. “This relationship that helps benefit U.S. farmers. farmers in Wisconsin, it doesn’t work if it’s a one way street,” stated Markey. “It has to be a two way street. So we have to show how we can help in terms of optimization and production.”
Part of building those relationships is by having them meet with the producers they are buying from. Howard Hartmann of Hartmann Farms outside of Lodi is one of those farmers. He owns and operates a country grain elevator in addition to farming around 8,000 acres. Hartmann has hosted multiple groups of foreign visitors over the years and finds the opportunity valuable.
“It puts a face in front of it,” Hartmann says. “When you can put a face to it, it really puts a face to our trade.” Hartmann appreciates the receiving a variety of questions as well as clearing up any misconceptions they may have about American agriculture. “If you ever get a chance to do it, it’s extremely rewarding,” said Hartmann.
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