MANHATTAN, KANSAS, U.S. — With a goal of helping industry professionals learn about the procurement of soybeans and their co-products , the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) sponsored the Oilseed and Grain Purchasing Tools and Resources Training. The course was held at the Kansas State University (KSU) IGP Institute April 30 – May 2 and 26 participants from nine countries, including the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Peru, Venezuela and Mexico attended.

“There was a lot of interest in the last presentation on purchasing strategy and implementation since it integrated all the different course topics,” said Carlos Campabadal, IGP Institute feed manufacturing and grain quality management outreach specialist. Campabadal said many of the top feed producers in their respective countries participated in the training. 

The training covered topics including U.S. soy in global markets; storage and maintenance tools for U.S. soy and grain; concepts for cash and hedging policies; an inside view of the Grain Transportation Report and other USDA reports; soy from origination to export markets; maritime freights theory; impact of soybean meal based on origin; commodity and ingredient hedging; oilseeds and grain cash market supply alternatives; introduction to technical analysts; U.S. soy sustainability; and commodity and ingredient hedging.

In addition to listening to lectures presented by KSU faculty and staff, course participants also visited the Kansas Soybean Commission and spent time on Bob Hazelwood’s farm near Berryton, Kansas, U.S.

“Since I am a rookie and just starting out, I had some challenges,” said Arturo Caldera, commodities buyer for Granjas Carroll. “However, I found the risk management exercise to be most beneficial for me. The instructors helped give us a better idea on what we should do in certain situations at out our own operations.”

Caldera added that he also enjoyed the vessel booking, training and contracts portion of the course.