Please extend a warm welcome to Allison Miller, the newest team member of the International Marketing Program at MDARD!
Allison is a graduate of Michigan State University where she studied Comparative Cultures, Politics, and Public Relations. Allison previously interned with the Michigan Grape and Wine Council and the MDARD International Marketing Program before taking on the role of Communications Coordinator for the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA). Most recently, Allison served as the Communications Manager at MMPA.
We are thrilled to welcome Allison to our team!
Say Hello!
Allison Miller
International Marketing Program Coordinator
stubymillera@michigan.gov
517-275-1309
|
The MDARD International Marketing Program will host Michigan food and agriculture companies and commodity groups at five domestic and international trade shows in 2022. We invite you to review these opportunities and contact us to reserve your space today!
|
|
National Restaurant Association Show
May 21 – 24, 2022; Chicago, IL
FULLY BOOKED FOR 2022
|
Sweets and Snacks Expo
May 23 – 26, 2022; Chicago, IL
One booth space remaining
|
|
Summer Fancy Food Show
June 12-14, 2022; New York, New York
Two booth spaces remaining
|
SIAL Paris
October 15-19, 2022; Paris, France
FULLY BOOKED FOR 2022 |
Global Produce & Floral Show
October 27-29, 2022; Orlando, FL
Details pending, contact us to learn more!
|
|
LANSING, MI – "The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development is launching a search for the 2022 Michigan's 'Ag Exporter of the Year.' Each year, the department recognizes a leading food or agriculture exporter by presenting the “Michigan Ag Exporter of the Year” award to a deserving company that demonstrates success in export growth.
Companies of all sizes are encouraged to apply. Eligibility is limited to Michigan food, agriculture, and forest products producers, manufacturers, or shippers aggressively pursuing international markets and increasing export sales..."
 Learn about the 2021 Exporter of the Year Award recipient Citizens, LLC .
 Our partners at Food Export Association of the Midwest want to help promote your company! By registering to be featured, your company will receive global exposure through the bi-monthly publication U.S. Foodlink.
At no cost to the companies, Food Export highlights Midwest suppliers in this publication for distribution in over 20 international markets to over 30,000 industry contacts whom are actively interested in U.S. food products.
Requirements for participation are as follows:
- Only products manufactured in the U.S. with a minimum of 50 percent US-origin agricultural content, by weight, may be promoted.
- Participating company must be export ready with products ready to ship.
- Participating company to provide adequate product information, including a high-resolution product photo (JPG format).
Don't wait! The deadline to be feature in the May/June 2022 edition of
U.S. Foodlink is April 4, 2022.
Michigan is in the midst of record export years for our food, agriculture, and forest product industries. No matter where you are in your export journey, it’s likely that the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) can support you as you drive your international marketing and sales to the next level. MDARD can provide detailed market research looking at your company’s product(s) in specific markets or region and identify performance or regulatory trends.
Do you have an internationally based company that has contacted you for a possible sale but you’re a little hesitant? MDARD offers a free credit report on that company, providing you with additional context to make your business decision.
MDARD also provides documentation support by issuing phytosanitary certificates and Certificates of Free Sale; giving you guidance on obtaining a Certificate of Origin; collaborating with internationally based partner organizations with detailed in-market insights, and more.
MDARD’s membership in the Food Export Association of the Midwest opens an array of offerings to Michigan businesses. They offer meetings with thoroughly vetted international buyers, the “Helpline,” where you can call in with specific trade challenges you’re facing and access to a vast reservoir of export training and guidance.
Additionally, the “Branded Program” is a cash-reimbursement program for eligible companies with 50% or more US agricultural contents/ingredients in your product(s). Receive cash reimbursement for things like freight costs, point of sale materials, international trade show expenses, some international travel expenses, label translation costs, website update costs, and so much more.
Our activity list to support you also includes opportunities to promote your products at domestic and international trade shows. This year, we’re taking Michigan companies to Sweets & Snacks; American Food Fair (National Restaurant Association); Fancy Food Summer show; SIAL Paris; we’re doing a “Midwest Buyers Mission” bringing international buyers to Michigan and other midwestern states; a trade mission to Toronto where you get to feature your products to buyers in Canada; and we’re hosting Michigan companies at the Global Produce and Floral Show in Orlando, FL. All of these trade shows are tremendous opportunities for you to get your products in front of buyers and promote your company for additional sales growth. We have most spaces at these trade shows already booked. Contact us today to inquire about remaining opportunities to join us at these shows.
Call me an old-fashioned optimist, but I’m willing to bet your brightest days in business are yet ahead of you, and export markets will be a big part of your success. With Michigan food, agriculture, and forest products on track for another record export year, how can you afford not to get your products into foreign markets? What does expansion look like for you if you're already selling abroad?
Contact us at MiAgExport. We want to be a part of your export success!
Ridiculously Tasty. Protein Packed.
This catchy, informative tag line sets the stage perfectly for Grand Rapids, MI-based company The GFB. Started by two brothers looking for better tasting gluten-free food, the company has grown under its broader mission centered on quality food ingredients and sustainable production practices. The GFB is now a Certified B Corp which means the company meets verified performance, accountability, and and transparency metrics for employee benefits, input materials, and more. They offer gluten free, non-GMO verified, vegan, certified kosher and mostly organic snack bites, protein bars, and single-serve flavored oatmeal. It is a point of pride for The GFB that all of these products are made locally in a zero-waste food production facility and starting this year, all products will be made from sustainable energy sources.
The GFB and the International Marketing Program at MDARD have regularly connected as the company continued to expand its product line and production capacity. In 2020, The GFB expressed interest in exhibiting at the Sweets and Snacks Expo. Despite delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sweets and Snacks Expo was held in the summer of 2021 in Indianapolis, IL.
As a direct result of their participation in the MDARD pavilion at the 2021 Sweets and Snacks Expo, The GFB has reported $50,000 in domestic sales with an anticipated $125,000 in additional sales over the next 12 months. The show also resulted in four new distributor contacts, which will aid The GFB in its continued expansion.
“We continue to be impressed by the growth and mission of the team at The GFB” said Nate Engle, Deputy Director of the Agriculture Development Division at MDARD, “From a family quest for tastier gluten-free snacks, to a booming local business with impressive credentials in sustainability, we are excited by the growth this local business has experienced and look forward to seeing what is next for The GFB. Their success at the Sweets and Snacks Expo further amplifies the value of proactively seeking out new domestic and international growth opportunities for your company.”
The mission of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's International Marketing Program is to assist Michigan food and agricultural businesses in developing domestic and international market opportunities to effectively grow their business.
In conjunction with various partners and service providers, the International Marketing Program offers Michigan businesses a variety of export marketing programs and services. Contact us at MDARD-AgD@Michigan.gov to learn more!
|
These Buyers Missions are offered in coordination with MDARD trade show pavilions. These events provide an opportunity to meet with pre-qualified buyers from around the world in pre-arranged, one-on-one meetings right here in the U.S., generate new sales leads, and build relationships with key industry players! It’s the perfect low-cost opportunity to meet qualified buyer from around the world in one place!
 |
|
Food Service Buyers Mission
- National Restaurant Association Show -
May 21 - 23, 2022; McCormick Place; Chicago, IL
Early Registration Deadline: March 11, 2022
Price: $150
International Buyers: Antigua, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Japan, Kuwait, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago
Product Categories: Sweets/savory snacks, sauces, dressings, condiments, frozen/processed food, bakery products, confectionery, herbs, spices, ready meals
REGISTER HERE!
|
|
Beer, Wine, & Spirits Buyers Mission
- National Restaurant Association Show -
May 22, 2022; McCormick Place; Chicago, IL
Early Registration Deadline: March 16, 2022
Price: $150
International Buyers: Australia, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru
Product Categories: Beer, wine, spirits
REGISTER HERE!
|
|
 |
 |
|
Sweets and Snacks Buyers Mission
- Sweets and Snacks Expo -
May 23 - 26 , 2022; McCormick Place; Chicago, IL
Early Registration Deadline: March 14, 2022
Price: $150
International Buyers: Australia, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom, Vietnam
Product Categories: Savory snacks, confectionery products, non-chocolate candy, popcorn, salty snacks, sugar-free candy
REGISTER HERE!
|
|
Specialty Food Buyers Mission
- Summer Fancy Food Show -
June 10 - 11, 2022; Jacob K. Javits Convention Center; New York, NY
Early Registration Deadline: April 1, 2022
Price: $150
International Buyers: Antigua, Canada, Cayman, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Jamaica, Japan, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates
Product Categories: Beverages, natural and organic food ingredients, gluten-free foods, meal replacements, snacks, specialty and gourmet food
REGISTER HERE!
|
|
 |
 |
|
Food Show PLUS! at SIAL Paris
Paris, France - October 15 - 19, 2022
Early Registration Deadline: June 27, 2022
Price: $225
Product Categories: Alcoholic beverages, food preparation & ingredients, condiments, sauces, jams, jellies, processed vegetables & pulses, snack foods, prepared & preserved seafood, dog & cat food
REGISTER HERE!
|
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's International Marketing Program is pleased to continue offering Worldwide Credit Reports for Michigan food and agriculture companies. This service will provide the most up-to-date credit information on in-country businesses in partnership with the Van Andel Global Trade Center. Worldwide Credit Reports help companies and partners with operations, stability, and profitability.
Qualifying food and agriculture companies can receive one Worldwide Credit Report free of charge.
Depending on country, each report will include some or all of the following:
- Executive Summary
- Answers to Questions
- Recent Imperatives
- Legal Information
- History of Related Companies
|
- Trade References
- Technical Information
- Bank References
- Financial Conditions
- Payment History
|
Reports are developed by in-country representatives and are fully accepted by all major credit insurance firms.
Michigan produces top quality soybeans for human consumption, further processing, and animal feed ingredients. Top export markets for Michigan soybeans include Japan,
South Korea, and Southeast Asia.
URBANA, Ill. – Soybeans outmatch all other legumes as the protein powerhouses of the plant kingdom, providing a key protein source for humans and livestock around the world. And now, after 30 years, University of Illinois scientists have identified the gene with the largest impact on seed protein in soybean.
“Soybeans are around 40% protein, and this gene increases that about 2%. It doesn't sound like a lot, but compared to any other seed-protein gene that's been mapped for soybean, it's at least double,” says Brian Diers, the Charles Adlai Ewing Chair of Soybean Genetics and Breeding in the Department of Crop Sciences and co-author of the study in The Plant Journal.
Co-author Matt Hudson, Professor of Bioinformatics in Crop Sciences, adds, “If we could put the high protein form of the gene into commercially grown varieties, we would be looking at a significant increase in protein for livestock and humans worldwide as even a single percentage point increase in protein concentration would represent millions of tons of protein. That's quite significant.”
In 1992, then-graduate-student Diers published the first seed protein map for soybean. Although he identified the region of the genome where the gene might be located, it took three decades, many technological advances, and the publication of two soybean genomes to nail down the specific gene: Glyma.20G85100 , a gene without a known function but closely related to “clock and circadian timing” genes.
“It's satisfying to make the journey from being an eager young grad student, all excited about this finding, to finally determining what the gene is,” Diers says. “But if I go back to myself 30 years ago, I could never have imagined it would have taken this long. But better late than never.”
Pinpointing a gene like this is complicated because it’s one of many quantitative trait loci: locations within the genome contributing to continuous traits like plant height, yield, or in this case, protein content.
Researchers have to grow the plants, measure protein content, and then drill down into the genome to find correlated genetic differences among plants with different amounts of protein. Those genetic differences might not be detectible, or they might only be traceable to large sections of the genome.
Diers says he originally mapped the gene to a section of a chromosome several million base pairs of DNA long. But by testing generation after generation of plants carrying the gene within smaller genetic regions, he slowly narrowed it down.
"We had to screen thousands and thousands of plants and then evaluate them with markers to see if we found an association. It was very laborious, and we had many students and postdocs working on this over the years,” Diers says.
Like most genes, Glyma.20G85100 comes in multiple forms, or alleles. Depending on the allele found in a particular soybean line, seed protein content can be high or low. And, as it turns out, most commercial soybean lines contain the low-protein allele.
“Unfortunately, we found the high-protein allele has a deleterious effect on yield. So elite varieties, which are bred for high yield, generally have the low-protein form,” Diers says.
The discovery of the gene is complicated by a murky link between the gene and its role in increasing protein content.
“We were hoping that when we finally found the gene, it was going to be involved in something obvious, for example, nitrogen fixation or nitrogen metabolism,” Diers says. “But it turns out it really isn't what you would expect for a gene controlling a protein.”
Instead, the gene appears to be part of the soybean plant’s circadian machinery; the way the plant keeps track of time to maximize photosynthesis during the day, figure out when to flower and set seed, and many other processes.
“It’s absolutely a standard part of the circadian clock that's conserved between nearly all plants. It looks like a transposon, or a jumping gene, landed in that circadian clock gene and inserted a whole bunch of new amino acids in the middle of the conserved domain,” Hudson says. “It could be that the gene is involved in moving photosynthesis products into the seed or it could be some completely unrelated pathway. It’s weird, and we really don’t know.”
Regardless of how it works, identifying the gene with the biggest single contribution to soybean protein content could have major consequences for global food security.
“If we can understand the mechanism, that should give us some clues as to how we can increase protein without decreasing yield,” Diers says.
Hudson adds, “There are significant issues with protein deficiency in many parts of the world. Even a modest increase in protein could go a long way.”
The study, “Fine mapping and cloning of the major seed protein QTL on soybean chromosome 20,” is published in the Plant Journal [DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15658]. The work was partially supported by soybean check-off funding from the United Soybean Board and the North Central Soybean Research Program, and by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
The Department of Crop Sciences is in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Read the original article here.
Virtual Seminar: “Take the Upper Hand” – Michigan Food Exports to China and Japan March 10, 2022 | Virtual Seminar
Webinar - Forestry in Finland and northern US (Part 3)
March 24, 2022 | Online
Food Show PLUS! at SIAL Canada
April 20-22, 2022 | Montreal, Canada
Focused Trade Mission to Guatemala
May 11-12, 2022 | Guatemala City, Guatemala
MDARD Pavilion at the National Restaurant Association Show
May 21-24, 2022 | Chicago, IL
Food Service Buyers Mission at the National Restaurant Association Show 2022
May 21-23, 2022 | Chicago, IL
MDARD Pavilion at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
May 24-26, 2022 | Chicago, IL
Sweets and Snacks Buyers Mission at the 2022 Sweets and Snacks Expo
May 23-25, 2022 | Chicago, IL
.....
|
