National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) leaders recently traveled to the European Union (EU) with the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) to meet with major end-users and handlers of U.S. ethanol and feed grains.

The group included NCGA President Jed Bower, NCGA Chairman Kenny Hartman, NCGA CEO Neil Caske,; and NCGA First Vice President Matt Frostic who were able to offer detailed perspectives from the position of U.S. corn farmers. 

The delegation began its journey in Spain for a meeting with Vertex, a leading ethanol producer in Spain and France which began using U.S. corn at one of its plants, confirming a higher ethanol yield compared to corn of other origins.

Next, the group attended a roundtable with CESFAC, a non-profit organization representing the Spanish compound feed industry, and other key stakeholders from across the Spanish feed sector, including importers, traders, end-users of corn and corn co-products and industry association leaders.

Attendees spoke about demand for U.S. grains in the country and Council staff presented the results of its 2025/2026 Corn Harvest Quality Report to bring importers the latest information about U.S. grain quality, nutritional constitution and added value in feed diets.

The next stop on the agenda was The Netherlands for a visit to one of the major regional liquid chemical storage providers at the Port of Rotterdam to understand the supply chain and the logistical process of exporting U.S. ethanol into the EU. Later, the team met with Alco Group, the largest bioethanol plant in the EU, that produces more than 171 million gallons each year.

Finally, the group traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark to visit Maersk’s headquarters. Maersk is the world’s second largest shipping company and is exploring the possibility of incorporating ethanol as a marine fuel for its fleet.