KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 17, 2024 – Ambassador Kip Tom, a key agricultural advisor to President-elect Donald J. Trump, was one of the leaders to address more than 500 members of the grain and feed industry last week at the 53rd Country Elevator Conference (CEC).
Tom is an Indiana farmer and formerly served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies and International Organizations in Rome, Italy.
“Structural changes are occurring on a global level that U.S. agriculture will need to navigate in the coming years,” Tom explained. Challenges he identified include the strengthening alliance between Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS); changing politics; geopolitical conflicts; and the commoditization of transportation.
Technological innovation and infrastructure investments will be vital to maintaining U.S. agricultural competitiveness, he told the group, explaining, “North American relations become increasingly important in this environment.”
Improving the transportation infrastructure between the United States and Mexico was the focus of the convention’s next speaker, Rodrigo Rubio Sánchez from Ferromex, Mexico’s main rail carrier.
“External factors presented operational challenges this year, but we were able to meet the demand,” Rubio noted. Rail shipments of U.S. agricultural commodities to Mexico were slowed in 2024, due in part, to migrant problems, record export volumes, and some capacity limitations.
But Ferromex is taking steps to speed shipments moving forward, Rubio said, by “prioritizing immediate investments to enhance network fluidity … and supporting investments in more efficient terminals.”
The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) sponsors the annual CEC meeting, bringing hundreds of professionals from across the grain and feed sectors for networking, education sessions, and a supplier trade show. The event’s programming is designed to provide attendees with the knowledge, tools, and inspiration needed to succeed in the evolving industry.
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