The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) hosted 26 international buyers from China, Mexico, Colombia and Vietnam last week. The tour is designed to increase export sales for the Illinois pork industry. Over the last 20 years, the tour has generated over $11 million in sales for participating Illinois agribusinesses.

IL PORK TOUR 2016: Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Raymond Poe addresses international pork producers who visited the GSI AP (Automated Production Systems) manufacturing facility in Taylorville.

“The Illinois pork industry is a vital component of Illinois agriculture,” says Raymond Poe, director of the IDOA. “The industry contributes billions of dollars to our economy and creates thousands of jobs. Illinois ranks fourth in the nation among pork producing states. Through the Illinois Pork Tour we can build relationships between foreign buyers and Illinois agri-businesses in the hopes of growing our industry and improving our export sales.”

Rebecca Clark, IDOA communications manager, said the tour opens doors to international opportunities. “In 2015, Cedar Ridge Farms sold the first shipments of breeding pigs to Thailand after participating in the Illinois Department of Agriculture Pork Tour,” Clark says. “After making contacts and becoming interested in business opportunities here, we hope participants will establish long-term business relationships in Illinois.” 

The pork tour began with participants meeting with representatives from Cedar Ridge Farms in Red Bud. Several stops throughout Illinois and Iowa followed including: GSI’s AP (Automated Product Systems), Taylorville; National Soybean Research Laboratory, Urbana-Champaign; Prairie State Semen, Inc., Chicago; Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago; and Amlan International, Vernon Hills. The tour concluded at World Pork Expo in Des Moines.

Source: IDOA