Although the supply chain is wobbling, several experts say agricultural exports are continuing to thrive — especially in the Chinese market.
Gregg Doud, former U.S. chief agriculture trade negotiator and current vice president of global situational awareness and chief economist for Aimpoint Research, said last year, China imported more than $10 billion of beef from around the world, with 50% of exported beef world-wide headed their way.
“We are selling China roughly on average of $100 million worth of beef a month,” Doud said last week during a conference of North American Agricultural Journalists. “There is a lot of underlying strength fundamentally in the cattle market.”
In addition to meat, Doud is bullish on the increase in exports.
“Through August, our exports were up 91%; almost double what they were,” he said. “We’re expanding our opportunities.”
Doud, who was raised on a dry-land sorghum, soybean, wheat, pig and cow-calf operation near Mankato, Kansas, said along with beef, China is increasing its demand for both corn and soybeans.
“China is looking at about 29 million tons of imports of corn,” he said.
Greg Krissek, the CEO of the Kansas Corn Growers Association, said exports of bulk corn are down from last year, but, he said, last year was a record year.
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