Chinese delegation visits Sauk Centre soybean farm - St. Cloud Times

A Chinese delegation is scheduled to visit a Sauk Centre-area farm this afternoon as it studies U.S. production of soybeans.

The group is one of four from Asian countries that has visited Minnesota this year and the first Chinese group in recent years to visit Central Minnesota soybean fields, said Jessica Dornink, spokeswoman for the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council.

Original plans called for the group to visit a Wright County farm operated by Jamie Albrecht in partnership with Tracy and Dennis Wurm, but the itinerary changed, Dornink said. The delegation started its day with a tour of the SunOpta Soymilk Plant in Alexandria.

The Chinese marketing and purchasing professionals who are in the delegation want to visit farms to see how the product is grown and learn more about U.S. culture, Dornink said. This group is focused on food-grade soybeans.

?It?s an opportunity for them to come over and see firsthand what we?re doing,? she said. They are interested in learning about chemical treatment, genetically modified crops, machinery and the dynamics of family farm operations.

?They want to be able to relate to us and our families,? Dornink said.

They often express awe and surprise at the size of U.S. farms. Minnesota?s vast fields produced soybeans and soybean products worth $2.2 billion in export sales in 2010, making it the state?s top-exported crop by value. One in four rows of Minnesota soybeans are exported, and two-thirds of those exports go to China, according to Dornink?s group.

The group is hosted by the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, U.S. Soybean Export Council and Midwest Shippers Association. Today is the sixth day of a seven-day tour.

The visit has benefits for both hosts and visitors. Said Dornink: ?Just like they?re hoping to learn about our culture, I?m hoping to learn about their culture.?

View the original article here