The teams concluded their trip at the International Poultry Expo in Atlanta. First, a team of Taiwanese poultry industry leaders, major feed millers and a university professor attended a course at the University of Georgia. The Taiwanese poultry industry is a major consumer of Taiwan’s imported feed grains. “The Taiwanese poultry industry is constrained by old facilities and equipment as well as outdated production and management technologies. This impacts the feed demand,” said Clover Chang, USGC director in Taiwan, who escorted the team.

According to Mr Chang, the Taiwan Council of Agriculture intends to help poultry producers adopt new production models, using updated facilities, equipment and management practices. “The introduction of updated equipment and management practices will help improve the production efficiency of the local feed industry. The Council can have an impact on this change and thus help maintain this major grain-consuming sector,” he said.

Second, a team made up of poultry producers from Morocco, Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, partially funded by Council member United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP), attended a poultry nutrition course at the International Grains Program at Kansas State University.

The third team, also partially funded by USCP, attended a course in New Orleans to learn US Federal Grain Inspection Standards.

“Morocco has a zero per cent duty on US sorghum and has utilised US sorghum in the past in poultry rations. However, the industry needs some confidence-building experience that will make them much more comfortable using US sorghum in poultry rations,” said Alvaro Cordero, USGC manager of international operations, who hosted the Council booth at the Expo. “In addition, the teams will learn about US export channels for corn, barley, sorghum and their co-products.”