The recent U.S. learning tour by a high-level delegation from the Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association (CLFMA) of India has drawn attention beyond its stated objective of knowledge exchange, as it coincides with ongoing India-U.S. trade negotiations that could significantly expand American exports of animal feed ingredients to India.
The delegation, led by CLFMA Chairman Divya Kumar Gulati, visited key agricultural and feed industry facilities across New Orleans and Iowa to study the global animal agriculture value chain. The programme included visits to the Cargill Reserve Export Terminal, Iowa Soybean Association, Insta-Pro International, Cargill's oilseed crushing facility and Iowa State University, where delegates received technical training on feed manufacturing, biosecurity, quality management and processing technologies.
According to CLFMA, the tour was designed to provide exposure to global best practices in trade, logistics, grain movement, soy processing, oilseed processing, quality assurance and sustainable farming. The delegation also met Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and interacted with several industry stakeholders to strengthen collaboration across the livestock and feed sectors.
The timing of the visit is particularly significant as it took place amid ongoing bilateral trade negotiations between India and the United States. The latest round of discussions between the two countries was held during the visit of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to India from June 22 to 24.
The joint statement released by the White House on February 6, 2026, stated that India would “eliminate or reduce tariffs on all U.S. industrial goods and a wide range of U.S. food and agricultural products.” It specifically mentions dried distillers' grains (DDGs), red sorghum for animal feed, soybean oil, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, wine and spirits, among other products.
Among these, DDGs and red sorghum are widely used as livestock and poultry feed ingredients in the United States. Lower import duties on these commodities could potentially make them more competitive in the Indian market, creating new sourcing options for feed manufacturers while also intensifying competition for domestic feed grain producers. The CLFMA delegation's itinerary reflected a strong focus on exactly these segments of the value chain.
While international exposure and technical learning are common objectives of such visits, the programme also familiarised Indian industry representatives with American supply chains that could assume greater commercial relevance if tariff reductions under the bilateral trade arrangement are implemented.
India's livestock sector, one of the world's fastest-growing consumers of compound feed, has been seeking reliable supplies of protein-rich feed ingredients to support expanding poultry, dairy and aquaculture production. Access to competitively priced imported feed materials could help diversify raw material availability, although domestic industry groups and farmer organisations have traditionally expressed concerns over the impact of increased imports on local producers.
CLFMA maintained that the delegation's objective was to promote knowledge exchange and industry collaboration. Chairman Divya Kumar Gulati said the visit provided valuable insights into trade logistics, feed manufacturing, quality assurance, soy processing, oilseed processing and sustainable farming practices while strengthening international engagement across the animal agriculture value chain.