SITE
NAVIGATION

TRADE LEADS SERVICE

Conversion Factors

Control Panel

Background.

This study implements one aspect of the marketing component of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s IP Crop Infrastructure Mode and is a complement to the Minnesota Port Access Study.

Objectives.

Select Minnesota identity preserved (IP) crops to be promoted. Select primary target country markets for promoting Minnesota IP crops. Identify and profile high-potential customers for Minnesota IP crops in target country markets. Prepare overview of food supply market in target country markets.

Minnesota IP Crops.

Soybeans: clear hilum, high-amino acids, high-isoflavone, high-oil, high-protein, low-linolenic, non-GMO, organic, trait-constant, trait-specific, variety-specific. Corn: blue, food-grade, high-oil, non-GMO, nutritionally dense, organic, trait-specific, waxy. Wheat: hard red spring, dark northern spring, hard red winter, organic, trait-specific, variety-specific, spelt. Other: red potatoes, edible beans, organic edible beans.

Target Country Markets.

China: potential to be significant IP crop market in future. Japan: currently largest IP crop export market. Mexico: agriculture sector developing demand for IP crops. United States: largest market in world for IP crops.

Customer Profiles.

Identified and contacted select list of 1,634 potential customers for Minnesota IP crops in the four target country markets – 742 contacts in China, 230 contacts in Japan, 308 contacts in Mexico, 354 contacts in United States. Completed profiles for 551 high-potential customers. Created target list of 291 Current High-Potential Customers interested in purchasing Minnesota IP crops direct from Minnesota growers and local suppliers – 36 customers in China, 41 customers in Japan, 44 customers in Mexico, 78 customers in the United States. Identified approximately 1,300 Future Potential Customers for follow up at later date. Created unique and dynamic customer profile database for continuous updating and expansion.

Overview of Target Country Markets.

Prepared overviews of food supply market for China, Japan, Mexico, and the United States as the markets relate to Minnesota’s commodity and IP soybeans, corn, and wheat. Addressed a wide range of topics based on reviews of available literature from a wide variety of sources and supplementary interviews with persons knowledgeable about the country markets. Topics include: general characteristics of market and culture, crops and how used in the market, sources of crops used in the market, IP crop handling from field/port to end customer, role of importers and distributors, major players in the market, regulations influencing import of IP crops, and market segments for Minnesota IP crops.

Back to Table of Contents