A delegation of Iowa corn growers and livestock producers just returned from a trade trip to South America. Kent Rasmussen, who raises cattle near Rock Valley, says the Iowa Meat Trade Mission took them to Chile and Peru.
Rasmussen says it was a learning experience for the Iowa delegation in how to market American beef in South America.
The beef producers were joined on the trip by members of the Iowa Pork Producers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. Trade between the U-S and Chile has increased more than 330-percent since implementation of a free trade agreement in 2004. All remaining tariffs are to be phased out this year. Peru continues to be one of the fastest growing Latin American economies. Iowa exports to Peru have increased more than 750-percent since implementation of a similar trade agreement in 2009.
