The Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board (WSMB) is a sponsor of a See for Yourself program, organized by the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA), to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Aug. 16-18.

The program includes a tour of the Port of Halifax and its related facilities. As a key point of transfer for shipments from the northern plains to European markets, Halifax is an important part of the transportation chain because it has competitive access to the Midwest by train and the port features container lines with low dwell times and truck wait times.

WSMB Vice President Andy Bensend and Wisconsin USB Directors Sara Stelter and Nancy Kavazanjian are slated to participate in the program.

“The Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board has a strong interest in developing new identity preserved soybean marketing channels and avenues for our soybean farmers,” Bensend said. “The development of additional capacities to ship grains to our customers worldwide through the Great Lakes and on vessels from the east coast of North America in containers is a key part of this project. As a farmer, markets for my soybeans are vital to my farm’s success and contributes mightily to Wisconsin’s economic growth.”

Shipping out of the north Atlantic is important to Wisconsin soybean growers, especially through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway because exploring options for new and alternative trade lanes is vital when supply chain, labor, weather and other issues have and can cause delays on gulf and U.S. coastal ports. Furthermore, the Seaway can be used much more, as it is used at about 50% of its capacity, and expanded infrastructure at the Great Lakes ports, including Duluth-Superior, Milwaukee and others, make this an ideal time to explore how soybeans can move through that waterway.

These visits are an important way to educate growers about the potential for a variety of markets and the opportunities, challenges and other issues – positive and negative – related to exporting to those markets. By participating in this event, board members will learn more about how Halifax can play a key role in increasing soybean shipments to those markets, including the United Kingdom and the European Union.