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Wisconsin corn farmer still sees strong trading relationships key to profitability

The president of the Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board says maintaining strong relationships with trading partners is vital to farmer profitability.

Casey Kelleher, who farms in Jefferson County, says the work of the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council to expand overseas markets is a prime example.

“It’s unbelievable the places they’re getting corn and corn byproducts.”  He says, “I’ve hosted some trade teams from Southeast Asia, Asia, Mexico, South America, and it’s amazing how they come up here and they just want to see how you farm because they’re buying your products.”

He tells Brownfield, “Price is a huge thing, but some of these relationships you make, I’ve been over to South Korea, I’ve ran into those buyers and they remember you and they ask about family and everything else, so it really is a relationship.”

Kelleher says export demand remains a key piece of the profitability picture, so any checkoff-funded work to improve market access is a worthy investment.

AUDIO: Casey Kelleher – Wisconsin farmer