It looks like World Diary Expo is a truly international affair again this year. They’ve got a number of foreign delegations attending according to the latest news here on day one.
The delegations include two groups from China, along with groups from Nicaragua, Bulgaria, Japan, Germany and Russia. Each group has a different interest, but all are coming because of the expertise assembled during World Dairy Expo.
The delegations are:
China Livestock Feed Ingredient Buyers Mission: Sponsored by the Food Export Association of the Midwest USA (formerly MIATCO), this group is interested in nutrition-related products and services available in Wisconsin.
U.S. Grains Council, Beijing, China: This delegation seeks to broaden the technical management skills of those who will develop China’s dairy production sector, including dairy nutrition, engineering, economics, milk handling and genetic management.
Nicaragua: Led by Nicaraguan Minister of Agriculture Mario Salvo, the delegation is interested in new methods of milk processing and quality control.
Bulgarian Livestock Genetics Delegation: An 11-member group will be meeting with industry experts on dairy genetics. The group is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and coordinated by World Wide Sires.
Hokkaido, Japan, Dairy Producer Tour: This 25-member group is focusing on new techniques and technologies to improve their dairy business.
Bavarian State Chancellery U.S. Information Tour 2006: A 10-member delegation from the German state of Bavaria, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, will be exploring policy innovation in the areas of the environment and agriculture. The group is visiting as part of an innovation agreement between Wisconsin and Bavaria.
Russia: A nine-member delegation will be coming from Russia.
In addition to the delegations, DATCP will also host Mohamed Aziz Bouhejba, General Secretary of the Fédération Nationale des Eleveurs Bovins of Tunisia. This is the African nation’s dairy producer organization.
These official delegations are in addition to the individual international visitors that World Dairy Expo attracts. Last year, 2,513 visitors from 81 countries attended. The countries with the highest number of visitors were Canada, Mexico, Japan, Germany and Brazil. Last year’s total attendance was more than 65,000.