BLOOMING PRAIRIE, Minn. – Building and maintaining trust and understanding is a key component of any trade relationship. Nothing builds trust in Minnesota agriculture like seeing a real Minnesota farm in action.
On Sept. 20, Roger Toquam hosted a trade delegation from Taiwan on his fourth generation corn, soybean and hog family farm near Blooming Prairie. The visit was an opportunity to help the Taiwanese develop a better understanding of Minnesota agriculture and the care Minnesota farmers take in growing food, feed, fiber and fuel for an increasing world population.
"It was a great group with a lot of questions," Toquam said. "It’s a good thing to have groups like this on Minnesota farms."
On Monday, the delegation signed a letter of intent to purchase up to $2.5 billion worth of U.S. corn and soybeans over the next two years. The signing ceremony in Minneapolis featured Gov. Mark Dayton, Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson, Minnesota Corn Growers Association President Bruce Peterson, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council Keith Schrader and Cheng-Taung Wang, head of the Taiwan delegation.
At Toquam’s farm, the delegation asked questions about planting, the upcoming harvest, fertilizer use and how the quality of the crop is maintained during harvest and transportation. Toquam and his family also led a walking tour of the farm and highlighted the many conservation practices they employ. There was even time for members of the delegation to take selfies in Toquam’s corn and soybean fields.
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The Taiwan delegation was the third foreign trade team hosted by MCGA in September. A Middle Eastern and Northern Africa team visited a farm in Western Minnesota on Sept. 12 and a distillers dried grains team from China met with MCGA staff at the University of Minnesota on Sept. 14.
