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New Grains Council chair hopes to help calm nerves
The new chair of the U.S. Grains Council, north-central Iowa farmer Deb Keller, says one of the biggest challenges the organization faces is helping to calm the nerves of long-time U.S. trading partners.
“A lot of our customers are a little shaken after being withdrawn from TPP and hearing some of the talk about withdrawing, and now just redoing, NAFTA—and possibly the Korean trade agreement,” Keller says.
USGC is particularly concerned with Mexico, the largest customer for U.S. grains. Keller says the Mexican market still holds great growth potential, especially for ethanol exports.
“They are just now starting to use a ten percent blend and the market is opening up from state-run Pemex to more of a free market,” she says. “We’ve been working very hard to get ethanol there.”
Keller, who is from Clarion, Iowa, is the first female to serve as chair of the Grains Council in the organization’s nearly 60 year history.
AUDIO: Deb Keller
Sounds like an excellent choice to lead the Association, and keeping customers happy in turbulent times is a good strategy.