Soybean traders from Philippines visit Amboy farm

AMBOY, Minn. (KEYC) - Dusty Riley and his farm in Amboy welcomed a group of visitors from the Philippines Monday.

The group represents a soybean trading company that exports soybeans to the Philippines.

Amboy was the first stop on their tour, visiting and learning about farms around Minnesota, which the group says is pivotal in ensuring that their customers back home are well educated on the crop.

“We want them to understand how the process goes and to assure them that everything that we sell to them are not being adulterated something. Because there are some issues of adulteration in the Philippines, so we want them to understand that the whole process itself are clean.”

Riley says that his farm has hosted such visits in the past, primarily due to him raising both soybeans and pigs, showing how the two sustain one another by producing natural fertilizer. He says that he welcomes the opportunity to educate interested groups in how he runs the farm and about Minnesota agriculture in general.

“We can give a little more clear explanation about what we do and how we do it and they have a little bit better understanding of the product and what they’re getting and where they’re getting it from,” said Riley.

The visit was organized in part by the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, which notes that the Philippines is the biggest importer of US soybean meal. They say these visits go a long way in keeping the relationship between the two countries strong.

“It’s not only targeting it to what they need so they can go back and confidently tell their customers ‘yes I was actually on the farm. It’s not just claims of sustainability I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” said Kim Nill of the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council.

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