International forage sales date back to the 1960s, and exporters often shared information at meetings of the National Hay Association. That collaborative spirit was a part of the NHA from the earliest days of the forage export industry, and continues today with the U.S. Forage Export Council.

As a dedicated entity, USFEC was formed in response to the Mad Cow crisis in late 2003, when overseas customers needed assurance that forage was being grown, stored and processed with utmost care. This attention to safety in order to preserve and grow forage exports remains the core objective of the organization.

USFEC has achieved a number of successes in recent years, including:
Opened the Chinese market for alfalfa, working closely with US and Chinese governments to conduct inspection tours and negotiate fair market access.

  • Opened the Chinese market for alfalfa, working closely with US and Chinese governments to conduct inspection tours and negotiate fair market access.

  • Later opened the Chinese market for U.S. timothy.

  • Re-established trade access to China for transloading facilities by organizing inspection tours and establishing reasonable standards.

  • Accessed funding from the US Department of Agriculture for research, education and promotion, helping expand global sales the US forage export industry.

  • Successfully lobbied for the opening of the Indian market for alfalfa.

  • Developed a strong organizational structure, with power distributed across all members.

  • Established communication channels to end-users in Japan through articles in trade magazines targeted to the beef and dairy industries.

  • Enhancing the visibility and reputation of the US forage industry by organizing inbound trade missions and exhibiting at trade shows in Asia and the Middle East.

Current Activities

  • Partnering with the Agriculture Trade Coalition (AgTC) to fight unfair practices by ocean carriers and terminal operators that hamper U.S. exports

  • Working with USDA and USTR to open the Chinese market for grass hay and straw

  • Conducting feed trials in India to demonstrate the benefits of U.S. alfalfa

  • Conducting random sampling new crop to ensure safety of all USFEC exports

  • Developing ties with local communities and legislators to highlight the importance of the forage export industry