CAPTURING CHINA'S GROWING MARKET POTENTIAL; IOWA FARM BUREAU FARMERS HEADED TO CHINA FOR MARKET STUDY TOUR

Applications Now Being Accepted

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa- January 21, 2014 - China, home to the world's fastest-growing middle class, holds the key to market demand of Iowa's corn, soybeans and pork. Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) is now accepting applications for its members to help Iowa farmers capture that market with knowledge they gain through the IFBF's annual Market Study Tour. The tour is exclusive to members who apply and are selected.

"By going to China, we can give Iowa farmers inside knowledge on the biggest internal issues that China faces with its agriculture systems; that way, our farmers will be poised to meet demands of one of the most lucrative and challenging markets in the world," says tour organizer, David Miller.

Miller, IFBF director of research and commodity services, says it is China's growing middle class that is the number-one driver for demand of many Iowa ag products.  "We know that in just one generation, China's middle class will be four times the size of our own, so that is an important market to capture," says Miller.

The 2014 IFBF China Market Study Tour group will meet with Chinese farmers, agri-business leaders, government officials and citizens of Beijing, and will also explore the provinces of Hebei and Jilin/Liaoning.  IFBF members in attendance will also get the opportunity of a lifetime to visit the most spectacular cultural sites in China, including the Great Wall and Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Participants for the IFBF China Market Study Tour will be selected based on leadership participation in Farm Bureau and other agriculture organizations; equally important is a participant's communication skills and their willingness to share the perspectives they learn.  "This is a knowledge share trip and so a willingness to give back to fellow Iowans by giving presentations to their community or visiting with local media is a must," says Miller.  Miller says the tour is designed to help participants understand the rapid changes in China's farming practices.  "We'll get a look at the technologies they are using now and we'll see how our production and exports can complement what they are doing."

Applications must be submitted by February 28^th.  For more information on the IFBF China Market Study Tour, or to complete an application, visit the IFBF website at www.iowafarmbureau.com.

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