Ag Innovation Campus welcomes trade team from Cambodia
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A team of eight Cambodian feed mill operators made a stop at the Ag Innovation Campus (AIC) on May 9, marking the first time the facility has hosted an international trade team. The trade mission was organized by the American Soybean Association (ASA) and World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) and coincided with a Northern Crops Institute (NCI) course on U.S. Soy and the Value of Essential Amino Acids.
At the AIC, the international guests learned about its unique history, mission and processes and received a tour of the 16,000-square foot soybean crushing facility in Crookston.
“I was very pleased to welcome our first international guests to AIC and to be able to help them better understand the processes of a soybean crushing facility,” said AIC Plant Manager Mike Stanley. “They were very knowledgeable guests and asked a lot of great questions.”
The purpose of the trade mission was to help the Cambodian feed mill operators better understand how the product they are purchasing, specifically soybean meal for animal feed, gets from the U.S. to Cambodia and the processes needed to make it.
“This part of our trip has allowed us to better understand the technical aspects of making soybean meal and learn more about what makes it such a good product,” said Sambath Sak, an in-country representative for WISHH from Cambodia. “We thank AIC for the opportunity to tour the facility.”
The trade team from Cambodia tours the Ag Innovation Campus.
The trade team arrived in Minnesota on May 6 where they spent two days in the Twin Cities meeting with U.S. exporters, touring a barge and container loading yard and learning from University of Minnesota faculty. They then traveled north to NCI where they continued their course work learning about soybean economics, markets and processing. Following their tour of AIC, they toured the Alton Grain Terminal and got a crash course on soybean grading from the North Dakota Grain Inspection Service.
To learn more about the Ag Innovation Campus visit www.aginnovationcampus.org
