February 11, 2006

An Asian touch to an American event

An eFeedLink Exclusive

Networking with local counterparts may have been what visitors and exhibitors at the Illinois Pork Expo had in mind. But the Illinois hog community got more in the bargain: a chance to learn about potential business links in the Asia-Pacific, particularly China.

Held from Jan 31 to Feb 1, the annual expo included educational seminars, a purebred and pig symposium show, Trucker Quality Assurance (TQA) programme, and even a pork production auction on site at the Peoria Civic Centre.

Illinois edu seminar

This year's show attracted 142 mainly American exhibitors dealing in hog genetics, hog production equipment, animal health products and feed additives. Like most industry trade shows, organiser the Illinois Pork Producers Association, wanted to provide a platform where industry players can seek new knowledge and business partnerships, and so rally the local hog sector.

Adding new breath to this otherwise local assembly of market players, was eFeedLink's business manager Bach Moh. During his visit to the two-day event, Moh, who days earlier was at Atlanta's International Poultry Expo, switched from poultry to pork as he met up with various breeder hog producers and distributors, and companies for hog health products.

These business meetings proved more than fruitful. Many US companies expressed interest in seeking distributors, agents and equipment suppliers in China, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan, by tapping on eFeedLink's East Asia regional network.

Besides standing out as the only Asian face at the expo, Moh, who also oversees eFeedLink's China Market Consulting and Research services, was invited to speak at a local radio station. Questions were posed on the challenges in forging closer partnerships between the hog industries in China and those in the US, as well as eFeedLink's corporate services for the animal production and feed industry.

Bach Moh attended the Illinois Pork Expo on invitation from the Illinois Department of Agriculture. To find out more about eFeedLink's China Market Research Services, visit /research/