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Taiwan will buy billions of dollars worth of Ohio soybeans and corn

A farmer plants corn near Keymar, Md. USDA/FPAC video by Preston Keres
Preston Keres
/
USDA
A farmer plants corn near Keymar, Md.

Leaders from the Taiwan Ministry of Agriculture will purchase Ohio-grown corn and soybeans. They signed letters of intent this month through 2028.

Brian Baldridge, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, said the Buckeye State has been cultivating a relationship with the island nation since the mid-‘80s.

This latest agreement will generate an estimated $6.4 billion over three years.

"They need the great quality of agricultural products that we have here in Ohio for their country, and then in turn that helps our farmers, hopefully increasing that price that the farmer gets as he harvests his crop for the future," said Baldridge.

Ohio’s farmers grow or raise more than 200 different kinds of crops and livestock. According to Baldridge, each year, food and agriculture add $124 billion to the state’s economy.

The Ohio Soybean Council and the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association are also involved with the Taiwan agreement and others as they expand into more global markets.

Kathryn Mobley is an award-winning broadcast journalist, crafting stories for more than 30 years. At WYSO, her expertise includes politics, local government, education and more.

Email: kmobley@wyso.org
Cell phone: (937) 952-9924