The Northern Crops Institute (NCI) hosted its annual Grain Procurement Management for Importers course on September 9-18, 2024. This course covered a variety of procurement topics including grain export handling and logistics, basis, hedging, grading standards, world market outlook, purchasing, and risk management. This course was conducted in-person at the locations of Fargo, ND, Duluth, MN, and Minneapolis, MN with 37 participants from 18 countries: the United States, Japan, Morocco, Philippines, Venezuela, Liberia, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, South Africa, China, Algeria, Mexico, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Tanzania, and Italy.

Barry Hall’s Commodity Trading Room with NDSU Professor Dr. Bill Wilson.

The 10-day course began in Fargo, ND, at NDSU’s Barry Hall. First, participants engaged in lectures by NDSU’s Dr. BIll Wilson and Dr. Frayne Olson and the ND Wheat Commission’s Erica Olson. By the afternoon, the participants were ready for the first taste of the highlight of the Grain Procurement course: the online ‘Trading Game’ exercise in the Barry Hall Commodity Trading room.

The second day brought the group to the NCI facility in the Peltier Complex in Fargo, ND, for the first time. Lectures continued, including special guest NDAWN Director and ND State Climatologist Daryl Ritchison. The group split into the sub-groups they formed the day prior to continue working on a case study to apply more of the day’s knowledge towards the study.

Dr. Bill Wilson continued the lecture portion of the course going into day three. Jeffrey McPike of WASEDA Commodities and Dr. David Bullock of NDSU also joined the discussion when the group traveled back to the Commodity Trading room.

The next day got participants up and moving with a busy day of touring. After hearing from NDSU Wheat Breeded Andrew Green, the bus loaded up to tour the Grand Forks Mill and Elevator, the largest flour mill in the United States. On the way back, they stopped at Alton Grain Terminal in Hillsboro, ND, to see the shuttle loading facility in action. When the bus returned to Fargo, dinner was hosted at the Sanctuary Events Center at the course banquet.

Rounding out the first week, the course spent Friday, September 13th back in the NCI auditorium. Dr. Bill Wilson wrapped up his presentations. Other speakers included Erica Olson and Jim Peterson of the ND Wheat Commission, and Shane Markham of BNSF Railway.

The weekend was spent traveling to the next destination of Duluth, MN, and enjoying some free time on the North Shore. The education picked right back up on Monday, September 16th with a tour of the CHS terminal in Superior, WI. The next stop was at the Duluth Seaway Port Authority where the group heard from Kate Ferguson. The group took a quick early afternoon trip out on the Duluth Harbor on a private charter boat before heading for Minneapolis.

Day nine began in Minneapolis, MN, kicking off at ADM with a presentation from J.R. Edmondson and colleagues. The group also toured the Mill City Museum and heard from presenters Daniel Hofstad of OTC Agricultural Sales and Matt Ammerman of StoneX Financial. The day concluded at Cargill where the participants met with the wheat merchandising team. They toured the facility and heard presentations from Adam Motzko, Andree Adjoumani Damida, and Moussa Ousmane.

The final day of the 2024 Grain Procurement course was spent at CHS. Presentations and discussions there were led by Tony Roelofs, Dan Endreson, and Tanner Roe. NCI would like to extend a thank you to all the participants, presenters, sponsors, and staff members who made this course possible. This was the largest Grain Procurement course in NCI history, made possible by the increase in space at NCI’s new home in the Peltier Complex.

NCI Hosts Grain Procurement Course September 9-18, 2024

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