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Feb 06, 2014
Ill. Farmers Dave Droste and Duane Dahlman admire a WFP 50-lb bag of soy beside Jorge Solis, partner/owner of Nutrica S.A.
Dave Droste and Duane Dahlman, both from the Illinois Soybean Association board, joined WISHH and USSEC staff in Guatemala this past week, to see firsthand how U.S. soy penetrates the food market. On Monday, the delegation visited Alimentos S. A. and Nutrica S.A., two businesses in Guatemala which buy substantial quantities of U.S.-processed soy flour from Decatur and Cedar Rapids and U.S. yellow corn to put a variety of blended foods on the market.
They also compete for contracts to provide locally processed corn-soy blend to international food aid organizations, such as the World Food Programme, that distribute the products in Guatemala and the region.
”We have seen, once again, Illinois soy protein sold to help feed the world, this time in Guatemala,” said Duane. The group started the day with a briefing from Henry Schmick, USDA’s Agricultural Counselor for Guatemala, who reported that the U.S. exports approximately $1 billion of assorted agricultural products to Guatemala every year. Over the weekend, the team visited a Rotary Club-supported soycow, in partnership with the World Soy Foundation.
