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Pillen urges less reliance on China, more focus on domestic demand

Nebraska’s governor says the ag industry needs to continue to expand markets for its products.   

Jim Pillen says the U.S. should be less reliant on China. “My view of the world is that we don’t make money exporting beans to China.”

He says the U.S. needs to increase domestic demand. He says more crushing facilities like the two in his state would help. “Nebraska farmers do not have to worry about exporting soybeans to China because we can process them all here. We create biodiesel. We create oils. We have lots of soybean meal that we use in our livestock industry.”

Pillen tells Brownfield there are other options globally, too. “Then, we can sell soybean meal like on our trade mission to Vietnam and the Mekong Delta.  They’re trying to raise three crops per year. It’s shrinking and it’s sinking. They’re in great need of our soybean meal.”

He says the Cornhusker state exports more value-added processed feed to Vietnam than any other country.

Jim Pillen: