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Missouri farmer says growing global competition makes boosting demand for U.S. corn more critical than ever

A Missouri farmer says increasing demand for U.S. corn is crucial as it faces more competition on the global market from Brazil. Brian Willott tells Brownfield competition isn’t slowing down.  “And every year they are able to produce more and more soy and more and more corn, both, because a lot of their double cropping,” he says.  So we have to be sharp and continue to push for new uses and new markets.”

Willott, who has also farmed in Brazil says U.S. corn has a quality advantage and buyers on the global market will pay a premium for it. “Brazil’s a tough competitor,” he says. “They can produce a certain quantity that’s almost a quality of its own. They have so much ability right now to double crop corn behind their beans, and that does put pressure on us in world markets. So, we’ve got to keep working. We’ve got to keep making a quality product and keep going out to the markets and asking them to buy it.”

Willott says one way for U.S. farmers to be less reliant on global markets is to continue to grow demand in the domestic market. “We’d still like to see year-round E15 approved, so we can work on getting the corn pile down and use up some of these stocks,” he says.

He says any disruption to demand puts additional pressure on corn prices that are already at or below the cost of production.  

Brownfield interview Willott during the recent Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas.

AUDIO: Brian Willott, Missouri farmer